Holiday reads part 1
Two weeks holiday is quite a rarity for me. It's usually measured by week. However, this August I managed to secure a fortnight away from work. It has seemed a very long time, in a good way!
As well as visiting some wonderful places, both on the north and south of England. From tip to toe, so to speak. It has also allowed me some serious reading time. I have made us of this. I have made some decent inroads into my planned holiday reads.
My holiday reads mainly fall into two categories; quick reads, and, requires effort. I find this is the best combination as I tend to read multiple books at the same time. A hangover from my Uni days. I, invariably, read my, requires work books over a period of weeks and months. The quick reads I'll do in a day or two days.
So, this year I packed four books. And here they are;
AETHELSTAN: (Tom Holland) quick read
Usually, Works of history would fall into the requires work section. And my recent obsession with the War of the Roses, definitely did. The dynastic relationships, battles, etc makes the need to have your brain turned on, a prerequisite. This book, however, is a very slim work indeed. Part of a kings and queens of England series. This focuses on one of the least known, but perhaps most important early King in England. His reign established what we would call, England. He gave form and structure to a nation not dissimilar to what we have now. If he was Greek, he'd be called, Aethelstan the great, in my opinion. This view is shared by the author, Tom Holland. The saddest part about this whole, enjoyable, work is that, quite frankly, it's not long enough. It shouldn't be part of a series, but it should be a stand alone book, at least three times the length, to allow for more background context and legacy left by Aethelstan’s reign.
GALBAS MEN: (LJ Trafford) quick read
I deliberately held off reading this book before I went on holiday (I did, flick through a few starting pages!). Having read the first in the series, Palantine, I know roughly what to expect and how quickly I could read it in. It screamed, “wait for the holiday”. So I did. It was, as expected, massively entertaining! Laughs and giggles at some of the situations that resolved themselves from book 1. One, depressingly, sad scene, which I found profoundly affected me when I read it. This took me hugely by surprise, as I've read a lot of depressing things in books. Testament to the author that she spotted the opportunity. I did though, at one point, want to take to Twitter to harangue the author directly!
The difficulty now is I don't especially want to wait too long for the third book. Here's s spoiler, it involves, Otho.
THE MIGHTY DEAD: WHY HOMER MATTERS: Adam Nicholson
Picked this up in Waterstones, using some book vouchers I was given by were I work. It was a close choice between this, and another of my passions, a new book on Genghis Khan (that might be my Christmas present, now). I plumped for Homer. Great, Homer. Until 60/70 years he was still perceived as the fountainhead of western literary history. Everything flowed from the blind bard of Greece.
Nowadays, Homer is fading from his pre-eminence. He is like a fading star. Gradually dimming. I however, will always champion the works of Homer. There is nothing more depressing than the tragic consequences of the wrath of Achilles. Nothing sadder than the quest to return home, undertaken by Odysseus after the Trojan. ten years an exile until his bloody return to Penelope. It's has everything you could ever need to prod every emotion. Homer matters. Homer will always matter.
This one I have yet to finish. It's a classic, requires work and thought. Like the Iliad, and the Odyssey.
THE POWER OF HABIT: Charles Duhigg
One of the very many self help books that get produced at a rate of knots. Understandably, American. This one piqued my interest and I had some vouchers to use. So, I thought, why not. It's one that I have been reading on and opff for a few months. You can dip in frequently. It's very interesting. That's the point I guess. It's heavily into the neuroscience of it. Which, at times, can be a little beyond my feeble brain.
EVEN DOGS IN THE WILD: Ian Rankin
My secret, guilty pleasure, is the works of Ian Rankin. His Inspector Rebus character is an utter joy. Big Ger Cafferty, the Edinburgh gangster, and the other side of the Rebus coin, runs him a close second. Ian Rankin can weave a story so compelling that you cannot put the book down from when you pick it up you must finish it. Only Terry Pratchett and David Gemmell have managed to achieve this with me. Both of those, fantasy authors. Rankin is a crime thriller writer. He's one of the best. His books are a pleasure. A great pleasure to read.
Now, what usually occurs during holiday time is that I will, inadvertently, wander into a bookshop or second hand bookshop and browse. I can't really browse. The difficulty of staying in northumberland is that it is home to one of the best second hand bookstores in the UK. It is called, Barter Books. It is based in the Old Alynwick Train Station. It is home to 1000's upon 1000's of books. Some trashy and new novels; Some antiquarian and expensive and pretty much, everything in between.
Of late I have been finding myself building up my folio society collection of books. In Barter books on holiday I added a further two editions; Ovid's, the art of love, and Procopius', secret History. I also picked up a new history book. It is a biography of 'warwick: the kingmaker'. The central linchpin and ally of the Duke of York, when the War of the Roses kicked off. I got a couple of hundred pages into it and then stopped as the holiday was ending. I have left it at my mums so I can re-start it in Winter.
As well as visiting some wonderful places, both on the north and south of England. From tip to toe, so to speak. It has also allowed me some serious reading time. I have made us of this. I have made some decent inroads into my planned holiday reads.
My holiday reads mainly fall into two categories; quick reads, and, requires effort. I find this is the best combination as I tend to read multiple books at the same time. A hangover from my Uni days. I, invariably, read my, requires work books over a period of weeks and months. The quick reads I'll do in a day or two days.
So, this year I packed four books. And here they are;
AETHELSTAN: (Tom Holland) quick read
Usually, Works of history would fall into the requires work section. And my recent obsession with the War of the Roses, definitely did. The dynastic relationships, battles, etc makes the need to have your brain turned on, a prerequisite. This book, however, is a very slim work indeed. Part of a kings and queens of England series. This focuses on one of the least known, but perhaps most important early King in England. His reign established what we would call, England. He gave form and structure to a nation not dissimilar to what we have now. If he was Greek, he'd be called, Aethelstan the great, in my opinion. This view is shared by the author, Tom Holland. The saddest part about this whole, enjoyable, work is that, quite frankly, it's not long enough. It shouldn't be part of a series, but it should be a stand alone book, at least three times the length, to allow for more background context and legacy left by Aethelstan’s reign.
GALBAS MEN: (LJ Trafford) quick read
I deliberately held off reading this book before I went on holiday (I did, flick through a few starting pages!). Having read the first in the series, Palantine, I know roughly what to expect and how quickly I could read it in. It screamed, “wait for the holiday”. So I did. It was, as expected, massively entertaining! Laughs and giggles at some of the situations that resolved themselves from book 1. One, depressingly, sad scene, which I found profoundly affected me when I read it. This took me hugely by surprise, as I've read a lot of depressing things in books. Testament to the author that she spotted the opportunity. I did though, at one point, want to take to Twitter to harangue the author directly!
The difficulty now is I don't especially want to wait too long for the third book. Here's s spoiler, it involves, Otho.
THE MIGHTY DEAD: WHY HOMER MATTERS: Adam Nicholson
Picked this up in Waterstones, using some book vouchers I was given by were I work. It was a close choice between this, and another of my passions, a new book on Genghis Khan (that might be my Christmas present, now). I plumped for Homer. Great, Homer. Until 60/70 years he was still perceived as the fountainhead of western literary history. Everything flowed from the blind bard of Greece.
Nowadays, Homer is fading from his pre-eminence. He is like a fading star. Gradually dimming. I however, will always champion the works of Homer. There is nothing more depressing than the tragic consequences of the wrath of Achilles. Nothing sadder than the quest to return home, undertaken by Odysseus after the Trojan. ten years an exile until his bloody return to Penelope. It's has everything you could ever need to prod every emotion. Homer matters. Homer will always matter.
This one I have yet to finish. It's a classic, requires work and thought. Like the Iliad, and the Odyssey.
THE POWER OF HABIT: Charles Duhigg
One of the very many self help books that get produced at a rate of knots. Understandably, American. This one piqued my interest and I had some vouchers to use. So, I thought, why not. It's one that I have been reading on and opff for a few months. You can dip in frequently. It's very interesting. That's the point I guess. It's heavily into the neuroscience of it. Which, at times, can be a little beyond my feeble brain.
EVEN DOGS IN THE WILD: Ian Rankin
My secret, guilty pleasure, is the works of Ian Rankin. His Inspector Rebus character is an utter joy. Big Ger Cafferty, the Edinburgh gangster, and the other side of the Rebus coin, runs him a close second. Ian Rankin can weave a story so compelling that you cannot put the book down from when you pick it up you must finish it. Only Terry Pratchett and David Gemmell have managed to achieve this with me. Both of those, fantasy authors. Rankin is a crime thriller writer. He's one of the best. His books are a pleasure. A great pleasure to read.
Now, what usually occurs during holiday time is that I will, inadvertently, wander into a bookshop or second hand bookshop and browse. I can't really browse. The difficulty of staying in northumberland is that it is home to one of the best second hand bookstores in the UK. It is called, Barter Books. It is based in the Old Alynwick Train Station. It is home to 1000's upon 1000's of books. Some trashy and new novels; Some antiquarian and expensive and pretty much, everything in between.
Of late I have been finding myself building up my folio society collection of books. In Barter books on holiday I added a further two editions; Ovid's, the art of love, and Procopius', secret History. I also picked up a new history book. It is a biography of 'warwick: the kingmaker'. The central linchpin and ally of the Duke of York, when the War of the Roses kicked off. I got a couple of hundred pages into it and then stopped as the holiday was ending. I have left it at my mums so I can re-start it in Winter.
Comments