Buying books and reading books are two of my favourite things. I buy a lot of books, but I do read most of them. This is not a book blog, no reviews here, this is to keep me up to date on books I am reading this year, some projects and books I think might be interesting to buy in the future of which I am keeping a list.
Some time ago I was directed by my husband to a website where they had numbered some books that had languished on their shelves, but that they wanted to read, from 1 to 20. Each month they would select a number and the book would be read. Considering the number of books I had sitting on my shelves passing judgement on me, this seemed a good idea. So 20 books were selected and numbered and placed in a big box under the bed. Hence, these became known as the under the bed box books. It took me about two and half years to read these - the book chosen by a roll of a 20 sided dice. There were only three that I didn't finish. So I have adapted this to just six books, but it means I read the pile each year. Every odd month has a new book to read.
I also have a fascination with Japanese literature, but no idea why. However, I often wonder if I am missing something by not understanding the culture or language enough and seriously considered giving up, usually when I read a book and end up disappointed. However, I have decided that I am going to learn more about Japan and see if this is the issue. I have some podcasts in mind and also a couple of anthologies of Japanese Literature.
Other genres of interest include anything with trains, gothic horror / weird, early 20th Century female writers and translated fiction.
2025
This year I am planning to read six more under the bed books, continue reading the George Smiley novels in order and also read all of the Outlaws of The Marsh books. I am also going to learn more about Japan and Japanese literature. I can't think of any books that I have ever reread, so this year I am going to also reread some books that I remember enjoying.
December 2025
Final month of the year to read whatever I want, once I have read the final installment of the Outlaws of the Marsh. Other than that I don't have a lot chosen so far.
The Missing Thread - Daisy Dunn. A surprise birthday book all about the (mainly unwritten) part women played in the ancient world.
Outlaws of the Marsh Vol 4 - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / Sidney Shapiro. The last part of the set and apparently full of battles.
Monsignor Quixote - Graham Greene. I bought this second hand on a trip out with my brother in the summer.
Remington Platypus - Steve Nash. Brand new in and my solstice present to me.
I am also aiming to finally finish reading M.R. James' ghost stories rather than take on a new short story collection and I finished (finally) reading Twyla Tharp's Creative Habit which has been on the go for about 6 mmonths. I think I will probably read it again, but on the first read I am not sure why it has been so highly recommended. Might just be me though.
Books Read in 2025
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - John le Carre 4/5
Pen in Hand - Tim Parks 3/5
Not a River - Selva Almada 4/5
A Burnt Out Case - Graham Greene 5/5
Darwin's Island - Steve Jones 3.5/5
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories Ed Jay Rubin 3/5
The Black Spectacles - John Dickson Carr 4/5
The Angel of Santa Sofia - Josep M. Argemi / Tiago Miller 4/5
The Day the World Stops Shopping - J. B. MacKinnon 5/5
Your Own Dark Shadow - Ed. Jack Fennell 2/5
The Hard Way - Susannah Walker 3/5
Outlaws of the Marsh (Vol 1) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / Sidney Shapiro 5/5
Volt Rush - Henry Sanderson 5/5
The Provincial Lady in Wartime - E.M. Delafield 3/5
The Mindful Photgrapher - Sophie Howarth 4/5
The Extinction of Irena Rey - Jennifer Croft 4/5
Postcapitalism - Paul Mason 4/5
Complete Short Stories - Truman Capote 4/5
Gun for Sale - Graham Greene 4/5
Invisible Women - Caroline Criado Perez 4/5
The Pastor's Wife - Elizabeth von Arnim 4/5
The Silent House - E Nesbit 4/5
Collage Techniques: A Guide for Illustrators and Illustrators - Gerald Brommer 5/5
Excellent Women - Barbara Pym 4/5
Letters from a Conscientious Objector's Wife - Ed. Kate MacDonald 4/5
The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett 5/5
A Line Made By Walking - Sara Baume 4/5
Outlaws of the Marsh (Vol 2) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / Sidney Shapiro 4/5
The Unwomanly Face of War - Svetlana Alexievich 4/5
Fresh Dirt from the Grave - Giovanna Rivero 2/5
Outlaws of the Marsh (Vol 3) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / Sidney Shapiro 5/5
Perils of a Restless Planet - Ernest Zebrowski Jr. 3/5
Ghost Mountain - Ronan Hession 4/5
Ancient Sorceries - Algernon Blackwood 3/5
The Robin : An Autobiography - Stephen Moss 3/5
The Fairy Tellers - Nicholas Jubber 5/5
Queens of the Abyss - Ed. Mike Ashley 3/5
Emotionally Weird- Kate Atkinson 3/5
The Three Just Men - Edgar Wallace 5/5
The History of the Biscuit - Lizzie Collingham 5/5
The Land of Lost Things - John Connelly 4/5
The Looking Glass War - John le Carre 2/5
In a Summer Season - Elizabeth Taylor 2/5
At the Existentialist Cafe - Sarah Bakewell 5/5
The Pendragon Legend - Antal Szerb 4/5
Modern Short Stories - Ed. S.H. Burton 4/5
The Creative Habit - Twyla Tharp 3/5
November 2025
This month will be the last of the under the bed intimidation books that I have put off forever. Otherwise there are no particular themes.
At the Existentialist Cafe - Sarah Bakewell. The aforementioned intimidation book that I bought after reading a blog post by someone who likes books I usually hate and who I no longer follow. I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I might - not least because it is more of a set of mini-biographies, rather than a book about the concepts of Existentialist Philosophy. It has made me want to know more about Existentialism though.
The Looking Glass War - John le Carre. I haven't read any George Smiley books since the beginning of the year so thought I would pick the project back up. Unfortunately this was not a good book, fairly obvious, little plot development or tension, characters you didn't care about and only a cameo George Smiley appearance. Glad it was a short book.
In a Summer Season - Elizabeth Taylor. This has been on my shelf for years. I bought it when I was picking up all the Elizabeth Taylor books when I saw them, and then was put off by the negative reviews from pretty much everyone. It was not as bad as I feared, but it wasn't a great read and fairly predictable. Not much happened, but not in a good way. Still it has made a small space on the shelves now I've finished.
The Pendragon Legend - Antal Szerb. I bought this for my husband last year from his Book Flood list and it was a fun read when I finally got into it - took me a while though. It was like a mash up of Sherlock Holmes and some gothic horror with a mickey take of Dan Brown thrown in.
Modern Short Stories - Ed. S.H. Burton. I bought this for £1 many years ago, and it is not very modern as it was published in 1967 but it has been staring from the shelves for a long time.
If I should get through all of these then I will get to the final volume of Outlaws of the Marsh or I will find something that has been languishing on my Kindle.
October 2025
I have my books in a pile ready to go for Halloween Month.
The Fairy Tellers - Nicholas Jubber. A Christmas present from last year, this non-fiction pick for this month is 'a journey into the secret history of fairy tales. I enjoyed it so much, well written and thoroughly interesting.
Queens of the Abyss - another British Library collection of weird stories which has been on my shelf for a couple of years. This was OK but some really rubbish stories (Antimacassar in particular) and some OK ones. Not the best collection I have read.
Emotionally Weird - Kate Atkinson. Picked up from my trip to Birmingham in June. I have only read one other book by Kate Atkinson, which I really enjoyed. This one was OK but really didn't grab me and it was a bit of an effort to get through.
The Land of Lost Things - John Connolly. I loved the Book of Lost Things (and wish I hadn't given it away) and this was written ten years later with a similar theme.
It is also 1925 Book Week this month and I have chosen The Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace which I was very pleased with - a cracking read.
September 2025
This month I don't want to read any books about war, having read two last month. I am going to go back to the Tales of the Marvellous, but I have brought it downstairs as I find it difficult to read when tired. It is also time to pick up the Outlaws of the Marsh.
Perils of a Restless Planet - Ernest Zebrowski Jr. This is from my to be read pile and September's roll of the dice - I enjoyed it, but not enough to read it again.
Outlaws of the Marsh (volume 3) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / translated Sidney Shapiro. Fabulous read, better than book 2 and with lots of battles - and a naked Black Whirlwind armed with axes, plus a bit of magic thrown in.
Ghost Mountain - Ronan Hession. One of last year's Christmas Book and hopefully a gentle read after some of the others recently. OK, it was sort of gentle, if you count several deaths and smashing jaws with theodolites. This book has stayed wit me a bit, and I have been thinking about the layers in it this last week.
Ancient Sorceries: The Adventures of John Silence - Algernon Blackwood. I love Algernon Blackwood stories and this was a birthday present. I discovered that I had read one of the stories before, but enjoyed it even more the second time.
I also read The Robin : An Autobiography by Stephen Moss. Nicely written but for anyone who knows much about birds doesn't really teach you anything new - a better book for non-birders.
As I finished my non-fiction early I am reading Stephen Moss' Biography of a Robin, and if I finish my fiction list I will pick up a John le Carre novel as this project is not moving very quickly.
August 2025
August is Women in Translation Month, one of my favourite - but it also makes me feel bad that so little of what I have read this year is translated. I am pausing my reading of the Tales of the Marvellous, and the Turnip Princess. I am still reading The Inside Out of Flies from last month, as September will see a new book from the TBR pile.
All Our Yesterday - Natalia Ginzburg / tr. Angus Davidson - originally bought for 1952 book week. My first (will it be my only) Ginzburg. I did enjoy this, it was very plain, but I am not convinced I will read any more.
Scattered All Over the Earth - Yoko Tawada / tr. Margaret Mitsutani. I bought this on my January trip to London. I used to read a lot more Japanese books, recently I seem to have struggled to find any (other than the Inspector Imanishi books) that look interesting. However, this book is probably one of the best I have read this year and so I will be looking out for the others that have been translated.
Fresh Dirt from the Grave - Giovanna Rivero / tr. Isabel Adey. This has been on the shelf for about six months and is the short story pick for this month. I am not sure I really liked any of these stories, maybe one.
The Unwomanly Face of War - Svetlana Alexievich / tr. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. I can't remember how long ago I bought this on Kindle (I no longer buy from Amazon so it must have been a while). This is my non-fiction pick if I ever finish with the flies. This is an important, horrifying and humbling book that tells about life on the front line for women in Russia.
July 2025
Probably not as many books going to be read this month, with no leave on the cards and I want to make sure the way is clear for August's Women in Translation reading.
No Ordinary Deaths - Molly Connisbee - started at the very end of June and my solstice gift. Interesting read - lots about social history, possibly more than about death and rituals.
Inspector Imanishi Investigates - Seicho Matsumoto - one of this year's birthday books that has been on my to read list for a while set in Tokyo in the 1960s and starts out with a dead body on the railway tracks. It is an enjoyable mystery with several other seemingly connected 'natural' deaths - a bit unlikely but still enjoyable.
Takes of the Marvellous and News of the Strange - tr. Malcolm C Lyons - my short story pick that came to me for my birthday the other year - a medieval arab fantasy collection.
The Inside Out of Flies - Erica McAlister - from my TBR pile and July's roll of the dice. I have no idea why this has been sitting on the shelves for so long.
What Not - Rose Macauley - I've never read any of her writing but intellectual husband is a fan and thinks I may enjoy it. It was OK and quite witty in places and cleverly written - but not that engaging.
Offshore - Penelope Fitzgerald - I picked this up second hand last month. It is the second book I have read but still can't quite decide if I enjoy her writing that much.
June 2025
This month I am hoping to read a bit more as I have some leave coming. I plan to continue with the Water Margin and shall also be finishing Binocular Vision.
The Chinese Myths (A Guide to the Gods and Legends) - Tao Tao Liu - A birthday present from last year and probably the third choice I made for non-fiction this month as I kept changing my mind. I enjoyed this, although there is a lot to take in.
The Platform Edge - Uncanny Tales of the Railways - Ed. Mike Ashley - A Christmas present - weird tales and trains - what more can anyone ask for? I loved reading these, they weren't the best ghost stories but still very enjoyable. Some better than others, F. Scott Fitzgerald's story wasn't one of them.
Strange Meeting - Susan Hill - I bought this in London and have mostly enjoyed her books and this was no exception. I read it over three afternoons and it has stayed with me.
Outlaws of the Marsh (volume 2) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / translated Sidney Shapiro. No Sagacious Lu in the second installment, but still a lot of fighting, killing, wine and silver changing hands.
I also finished reading Binocular Vision carried over from last month. I have discovered that some books are best read during the day when I am not half asleep and can appreciate them more. I have started reading Shadow of the Wind, and also read Chip Wars which is about silicon chips and is a further reading suggestion from Ed Conway's Material World.
May 2025
This month I have one of the under the bed books to read, and am continuing my theme of one non-fiction, two novels, and one collection of short stories.
The Illustrated Journeys of Celia Feinnes 1685-1712 Ed. Christopher Morris. I have had this for ages and have a thing about trailblazing women, as well as wanting to learn more about British History beyond battles and kings. However, it was too much and I gave up halfway through and didn't finish. It was becoming a battle, and books shouldn't be a fight.
A Line Made By Walking - Sara Baume - I didn't get to read this in April so am carrying it over. I enjoyed it, but don't really know what was going on. I prefer her two later books.
The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett. I read his City of Stairs Trilogy and loved it, and picked this up as a random selection in the local bookshop in March. I finished it in a few sittings, and absolutely loved it - fun and funny.
Binocular Vision - Edith Pearlman. I saw this recommended somewhere and it was a present last year for my birthday. I have no idea whether I will enjoy this collection of short stories or not, but I do find short stories great for weekday evenings when I am tired and only want to read 10 or 20 pages.
If I should somehow get through these I will probably move onto one of my project books- the Water Margin or the next in the George Smiley series.
April 2025
Books chosen for April, including my book for the 1952 Book Week. I am aiming for a completely female cast this month in honour of my chosen non-fiction title and my 1952 book, but also in recognition that nearly all of the books I have read this year have been from male authors, so rather than smashing the patriarchy I am just evening things up.
Invisible Women - Caroline Criado-Perez. I bought this on Kindle (before I started boycotting them) over 4 years ago but as I don't actually like Kindle books very much I haven't read it yet. My non-fiction choice for the month and really interesting showing how women, and therefore half the global population, are not catered for, or in some cases, have their lives put in danger because there is a default male - and rarely does anyone bother disaggregating data for sex.
Excellent Women - Barbara Pym. My choice for 1952 week - I read one book by Pym years ago and loved it, so why not. Well the reason is that this was the book I read years ago - so I am rereading it beause I am a muppet. And I enjoyed it again.
A Line Made by Walking - Sara Baume. I have read two other books and thought they were beautiful, this was a Christmas Present.
The House of Silence - E. Nesbit. My short story collection for the month which I enjoyed a lot - I think her stories improved as she progressed, but there are a few recurring themes.
The Pastor's Wife - Elizabeth von Arnim. One of my favourite authors if I just want something different. This was similar to many others she has written - she often has an unfeeling man in the story (although not always) and this one had two.
I received Collage Techniques by Gerald Brommer for my equinox Art and Craft book surprise from Intellectual Husband, which I read in April and enjoyed and will keep and refer back to.
I am also reading Letters from a Conscientious Objector Ed. Kate McDonald published by the now closed Handheld Press and The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.
March 2025
Books on March's list:
PostCapitalism - Paul Mason. I have had this since an interest in economics and sustainability collided. This is from the Under the Bed Box. I enjoyed the book as a history of capitalism and learnt quite a lot, some of which has actually stuck with me. But I am still not entirely sure that his view of a Post Capitalist World would work and maybe I need to reread some sections.
The Provincial Lady in Wartime - E.M. Delafield. This is the final part of the four novel volume that I bought a while ago. Combines an interest in Women in WW2 and the light heartedness of the other Provincial Lady Diaries. Interesting, but probably not as good at the others.
The Extinction of Irena Ray - Jennifer Croft. Bought on my recent trip to London and I have no idea why and I have no idea whether I enjoyed it. I can't decide whether it is a really good meta-novel or a badly written weak story.
The Complete Stories of Truman Capote - received as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. There are some really excellent stories in this, a few that are a bit meh, and two that seem to be almost a carbon copy of each other - like he ran out of ideas.
Volt Rush - Henry Sanderson. I started this ages ago with my morning coffee in the office before work, but kept getting interrupted. A recommendation from Material World about the metals and mining and deal making behind the materials needed for electric vehicles. This is such an excellent book - already recommended it to two other people.
In addition to these I also read The Mindful Photographer by Sophie Howarth. An interesting book with exercises to carry out, which I haven't done yet, but I do plan to reread it at some point and carry out some of them. I also decided to read Gun for Sale by Graham Greene, which I picked up in London in January from the wonderful Skoob Books. I have never read a disappointing Graham Greene book and this was no exception at all.
February
Books on February's list (with a nod to Indie Publisher's Month)
The Day the World Stopped Shopping - J. B. MacKinnon (started in January) - excellent and incredibly interesting book - lots of times when, at least locally, consumption dropped and the world didn't end.
The Black Spectacles - John Dickson Carr (publisher - British Library). I enjoyed this very much - a good old fashioned whodunnit (I sort of guessed the why but not all of the details).
Outlaws of the Marsh (volume 1) - Shi Nai'an and Lio Guanzhong / translated Sidney Shapiro (Foreign Languages Press). I absolutely loved this one.
Your Own Dark Shadow - Short Irish Horror Stories and a Christmas Present (publisher Tramp Press). Quite disapponted as these were not really horror stories; there were a couple that were OK but otherwise a bit meh.
The Hard Way - Susannah Walker (publisher - Unbound). I enjoyed bits of this but the author got too whingey and negative for my liking.
The Angel of Santa Sofia - Josep M. Argemi / translated Tiago Miller (publisher Fum d'Estampa. If anyone can tell me what this is actually about I would be most grateful.
January 2025
The books I planned to read:
Darwin's Island - my under the bed book. I have tried this a couple of times already and failed. Update - I have now finished this and it did get better as I persevered. I particularly liked the sections about evolution of flowers; insectivores and orchids, as well as those about barnacles and earthworms.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - continuing the George Smiley novels. 4 stars (the book was a great spy novel, I sort of guessed the ending, but I am not sure whether I have read this before).
Not a River - I loved The Wind That Lays Waste, so I am looking forward to reading this one. Update - it is an excellent book and has made me want to buy the Brickmakers at some point.
The Day the World Stops Shopping - this is sort of a work related book but I do think we need to stop mindless consumption of stuff
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories - starting the Japanese reading project and also I do have a lot of short stories to read. I enjoyed some of these more than others. The books set around or after the atomic bomb detonations whilst disturbing were very well written, as were a number around or after natural disasters and give a very different view. I will definitely reread some of these stories.
I also finished reading Tim Parks' Pen in Hand which I started last month and which has made me want to spend more time thinking about translations and also rereading some books.
In addition to the above I also read A Burnt Out Case by one of my favourite authors: Graham Greene which I really enjoyed (despite the book falling apart and moulting the remains of the binding glue everywhere). It had two of Greene's favourite topics - Catholicism and Africa.