I'm not as prolific a reader as I used to be (and I'm working this week, so won't be finishing any more books until next year). We go again in 2026.

Merry Christmas! #BooksAndBooze

Got three chunksters for Christmas. Hope you're all having a good one. All the best!

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Aren't we all?

This is a really interesting, thought-provoking primer on gender non conformity. You may not agree with Alok's critique of the gender binary, but their counter arguments to common criticisms of gender nonconforming people are well put.

This is an excellent, well researched study of Cumann na mBan, the women's auxiliary volunteer group, and their role in the Irish uprising. It's a little dry, but that's the nature of a thorough academic study. It gives a real sense of how chaotic and disorganised the war of independence was, and the bitter divisions that followed in the Civil War.

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This is a fascinating memoir of Patti Smith's year on the road in 2016, reflecting on life, love and loss. It's as lyrical and poetic as you'd expect, and feels like a fever dream at times. I listened on audio, which meant missing out on the photos, but it's always great hearing Patti Smith reading her own work.

Next up (bought it after seeing your post @Andrea313 !)

This is very enjoyable. These short poems are a mix of inspirational, reflective and downright silly (I won't lie, I love the silly ones). I read it from cover to cover but I'll keep it to dip into when I need a morning affirmation.

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This is a beautiful love letter to England, in particular the Slad valley of Laurie Lee's childhood and Chelsea in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It's unapologetically romantic, and Lee acknowledges "my incurable leaning towards nostalgic excess", but he doesn't shy away from the darker side of village life or English history. His account of revisiting his old school is particularly enjoyable.

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This is a lovely novella. Beautifully introspective with such vivid descriptions of the stormy weather and desolate landscape, the writing style reminded me a bit of Tove Jansson.

(also I know you're not supposed to judge a book by them but how gorgeous is that cover?)

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Well this is different. Each of the authors has a very different take on the idea of a festive crime caper. Some are almost whimsical, some are darkly funny, some are just plain dark. I wasn't expecting Machiavelli and the Borgias to make an appearance; it was great fun getting reacquainted with Helene Tursten's elderly lady. A very enjoyable collection.

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This is very sweet. Some of the cards are cute, some are funny, you can easily read this all in one go. Great festive fun.

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What a mad, odd little book this is. Entertaining, though. Great punchline/ending.

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This is a really sweet whimsical collection. Obviously the wartime pieces are especially poignant, but there's lots of funny silly pieces too. Lovely stuff.

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This is a beautiful collection of poems inspired and influenced by Maya Angelou's faith and love for humanity, and listening to her read them is a joy. Amazing Peace is such a gorgeous, moving poem to listen to at Christmas. (and I have to say, I wasn't expecting eulogies to Luther Vandross and Barry White.)

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This is an amusingly daft book. It's quite self-indulgent and very silly, with Ayoade interviewing himself and going off on rambling tangents, but that's kind of the point. There are a million foot notes, which he's very keen to point out don't come across well in audio and he keeps saying you should have bought the print book instead, which I found really funny.

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This is an odd but funny novel; a dark, farcical satire. Some of the language is very 'of its time' - the casual antisemitism in particular made me wince - but its depiction of the military leaders and bureaucracy as incompetent, arrogant, petty, and often drunk is very witty, and the bleak humour skewers the absurdity of the war. Is Schweik 'feeble minded', or is he a subversive genius?

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This is a great, moving novel. It conveys the injustice, horror and despair of the Great Hunger viscerally. While I wasn't sure how plausible the romance was (and you could be forgiven for rolling your eyes at the Hollywood-ish concept of 'The Irish Famine: A Love Story'), I couldn't help but become invested in it. The style of the book, with its short chapters, make it as easy a read as it can be, given the subject matter. I really enjoyed this.

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This is an interesting collection of reflections on human connections, written in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic. I didn't find his observations on inequality and the wider world particularly original (maybe that's a little harsh), but his insights into his creative process, his mental health struggles and his life experiences generally were really illuminating.

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Oh this is lovely. A beautifully evocative account of an extraordinary life (and I'll be honest, her description of their epic journey in the wagon made me grateful to be in a brick-built house with plumbing). Definitely recommend reading on audiobook, as Vashti Bunyan's reading voice is as soothing as her music.

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Oof, there is a LOT going on here. Almost too much - I felt like the final couple of plot twists were a couple too many, but that might say more about my lack of imagination. It's beautifully written, and I found myself very invested in the characters.

Seems like a good day to read about women fighting for social justice and the future of Ireland 🇮🇪 #BooksAndBooze

Poetry can give a unique insight into other cultures, and that's the case with this anthology. A lot of the poems are quite dark, with some disturbing imagery, which perhaps isn't surprising, given Czechia's history in the 20th century. An interesting and powerful collection.

This just felt a bit all over the place. "Here's an essay about the colour blue. Now here's an essay about my great grandmother. Now here's an essay about a film I nearly made and my friend who sadly died." I feel bad for not liking it, but it just didn't hold my interest at all.

Post holiday reading. It's been a lovely couple of weeks. #BooksAndBooze

Ohhhh this book is so beautiful and whimsical and adorable. Zuzana might be my favourite character in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, and it's lovely for Mik and here's story to take centre stage. The illustrations are gorgeous, as are the descriptions of Prague as the setting for their adventure. I loved this.

💜

Could only walk past the bookshop around the corner from out hotel so many times without popping in. I hate to reinforce gender stereotypes but it is all too obvious which book is mine and which is my husband's. (I might borrow it, who doesn't enjoy reading about Nazis being killed?)

The Sistine Chapel for book lovers. It smelled amazing.

When you accidentally stumble on a bar named after the book you're reading

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This is a very enjoyable account of what sounds like an absolute mad time in the writer's life. She describes, with charm and good humour, her attempts to build a new life in Prague; working for a eccentric (to put it politely) hotel owner; making friends in the expat and synagogue communities; briefly being something of a literary star....

Pre-holiday reading. Nothing better than #BooksAndBooze on a Monday afternoon. Shout out to the lovely staff at Oldham Library who were very helpful when I couldn't find the reservation shelf and couldn't remember my PIN to check the book out. #lovelibraries📚

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