'Dickens and Christmas' by Lucinda Hawksley

Merry Christmas!  The decs are up, the gifts are wrapped and I have a mug of cocoa, so it must be time for a read!  Normally, I'd be diving into the absolute perfection that is 'A Christmas Carol' around about now, but this year, for a change, I decided to uncover the story of the author's relationship with Christmas by reading 'Dickens and Christmas' by Lucinda Hawksley.

'Downton Shabby' by Hopwood DePree

Ever dreamed of discovering that you're descended from aristocracy and that there's a family mansion out there somewhere?  The thought may have crossed your mind wandering around a stately home; tea in the library, croquet on the lawn, games in the billiard room...  Sounds irresistible, doesn't it?  Then you might enjoy my latest read, 'Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle' by the magnificently named Hopwood DePree.

Chain Reaction: Hereford Cathedral's Chained Library

Hereford might be a lovely city.  I have absolutely no idea.  When I visited recently, it was largely obscured by rolling clouds of fog, roaming the streets and disorienting unwary visitors like me.  Perhaps it was part of a plot by Worcester and Gloucester to stop people finding Hereford Cathedral.  If so, I'm glad to say it failed and I eventually made it to the home of the unique chained library.

'Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins

I've only read one Terry Pratchett novel - 'Good Omens', his collaboration with Neil Gaiman - so it might seem strange that I was so excited about his official biography, 'A Life with Footnotes' by Rob Wilkins.  After all, there are plenty of other authors I've not read, so what was it about Terry Pratchett that made him stand out?

'Playing Under the Piano' by Hugh Bonneville

It's that time of year again, the Season of Celebrity Biography!  Last year saw a bit of a glut after the Covid-19 lockdowns kept many performers unemployed and indoors, leaving readers with a myriad of stocking-filling titles to choose from.  This year, things appear to be back to normal, and my pick of the 2022 crop was 'Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru' by Downton Abbey and Paddington actor Hugh Bonneville.

'Maureen Fry & the Angel of the North' by Rachel Joyce

Firstly, I want to make it clear that this has not become a Rachel Joyce fan site.  It just happened that the lady herself was one of the many brilliant writers to take part in a local literary festival recently, so I ended up getting my hands on the third book in the Fry family series much sooner than I expected.  On top of that, 'Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North' is much shorter than it's companions, and I couldn't wait to discover where Mrs Fry's travels would take her.

'A Snow Garden & Other Stories' by Rachel Joyce

It's October, which means that the Christmas products have started appearing in shops and supermarkets in the UK.  This has clearly had some sort of subliminal effect on me, as I've just finished reading the December-set 'A Snow Garden & Other Stories' by Rachel Joyce.

'Carry On Regardless' by Caroline Frost

Few film series are so loved yet controversial as the Carry Ons.  Once a staple of weekend TV, I spent many an afternoon watching them as a child.  Some I loved, some... not so much.  But it wasn't until I read 'Carry On Regardless' by Caroline Front that I began to understand why.

'The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey' by Rachel Joyce

I can't believe it's ten years since I read Rachel Joyce's debut novel, 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'.  This was the unexpected hit that launched many imitations; for a while it felt like every book I was offered was mooted as 'the next Harold Fry'.  Regardless, this original novel had such an effect on me that it was only this year - a mere eight since publication - that I final felt able to tackle it's successor, 'The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey'.

'I, Mona Lisa' by Natasha Solomons

Like many people, I'm a sucker for a story with a great concept.  When Natasha Solomons visited my area recently to talk about 'I, Mona Lisa', I looked up the book and was immediately intrigued.  

'Yinka, Where's Your Huzband?' by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

As a book blogger, I'm fortunate enough to get sent both books and sample chapters from time to time.  One of these was 'Yinka, Where's Your Huzband?', and I remembered enjoying it enough to seek it out when it was finally published earlier this year.

Money, Money, Money

Reading the back of 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' by George Orwell sent a bit of a chill down my spine.  Like many people who enjoy writing, I've daydreamed about what it would be like to throw in the towel and try to make it as a full-time wordsmith of fiction.  Here was that same idle thought made 90 years ago and turned into a novel by one of our greatest 20th century writers.  And it didn't sound like it turned out well.  With trepidation, I open the book and began to read...

Wilde by the Sea

I was walking along Cromer seafront recently and tripped over Oscar Wilde.  Literally.  

Inlaid into one of many stone hoops looping across the surface of the promenade like a time-travel special effect from 1960s TV, in gold lettering that shone even on a murky winter's day, the great wit declared:

"I find Cromer excellent for writing, golf better still."

Hmm.  Not his most thrilling bon mot, but the experience did remind me of an excursion to another British coastal town a few years ago in search of the site of one of his better known creations.