Mastodawn

Stolen from @Funktious as I thought it was such a great idea: a thread of all the books I read in a year.

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, read for a #bookgroup that unanimously loved it. Set in modern day Ireland, it's a contemplative and gently humorous story of two men who in their own ways don't fit in to the world. It's lovely, and quite different in tone to the TV adaptation that treats them as a couple of kooky misfits. They are so much more than that. #books #bookstodon 🧵1

House of Splinters by Laura Purcell, a proof copy. I enjoyed this as I'm increasingly enjoying slightly spooky stories with a gentle supernatural element. It's set in the C18th and follows the events of a family moving into the family seat and facing up to the events of the past. I liked the protagonist Belinda and thought LP hit just the right note of 'is she imagining it or is there really something going on?'. Recommended if the tone and subject matter appeals to you. #books #bookstodon 🧵2

Moonlight Express, Around the World by Night Train, by Monisha Rajesh, another publisher's proof. This recounts MR's journeys by night train all over the world and is a window into the night train subculture. It was interesting but maybe a bit long and I was keen to finish it. #books #trains #travel 🧵3

Don't Tell the Patient by Bill Inman. This is a cheat really as I've been reading it on + off for ages but finished it today. BI set up the yellow card scheme monitoring adverse reactions to prescribed drugs and worked in drug safety for 30yrs. This is a fascinating history, if a little leaden in style, and a real eye opener about the politics and finances involved, as well as going into incentivising GPs to prescribe new drugs. We aren't told enough about this as patients #books #bookstodon 🧵4

The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. Bought for a book group meeting that I had to bale on. I loved this! Set in the snow of early 1963, it follows two couples both expecting their first child. It's mainly about relationships of all sorts, where people come from and how realistic or not their expectations are. It's excellently written and although the ending is a little vague it's perfectly in keeping with the story. #books #bookstodon 🧵5

Archaeology is Rubbish by Tony Robinson & Prof Mick Aston. This well-written storified skip through the process of a commercial archaeology dig is a fun and interesting read. I picked it up on a whim in the library then bought my own copy to augment my medieval #archaeology degree which taught me no practical skills whatsoever 😄 If you love/d #TimeTeam or are just generally interested in archaeology I recommend it, though some techniques have really moved on since 2002 #books #bookstodon 🧵6

As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel, another publisher's proof. A story about magic, selling your soul and living under a curse, set from the C16th-C20th. I felt all the way through that I wasn't quite grasping something, but there was enough in it to keep me reading. Overlong in my opinion: the charm wore off and I really wanted to be done with it, but the writing's not bad and it must have taken lots of research.

#books #bookstodon 🧵7

The Defector by Evelyn Anthony. I loved this! This very copy used to sit on my grandparents' bookshelf, now on mine with a few of its fellows, so I thought it was time I read it. It's a spy story centring around an ex-KGB official, the Defector of the title, and the bargain he makes for sharing information on how far Russia and America are prepared to go to protect their oil interests in the middle east 🤷 I'll be reading the next two parts, probably starting tonight 😄

🧵8

#books #bookstodon

J.K.Pirie 1d ago

@callunavulgaris
Hasn't aged at all this story 🤔

Charlie Phillips/Dolphinchaz Mar 10

@callunavulgaris I met Mick and his partner at Chanonry Point, near Inverness where I was working filming dolphins. Amazing man, I was a bit star struck to tell the truth. We spent about an hour together, chatting about the dolphins and also the ecclesiastical history of the area - his special love I believe.

@Dolphinchaz I would have been struck dumb in his presence. He was so knowledgeable and seemed entirely genuine.

Charlie Phillips/Dolphinchaz Mar 10

@callunavulgaris You couldn't help but love him, the minute he opened his mouth... I was gaga and I've met and worked with the likes of Chris Packham, Simon King, Bill Oddie etc. I talked and mucked about with them like mates. Here I was absorbing the immense knowledge of an international expert. I'll never forget it.

@Dolphinchaz Wow, you've had some experiences!

Charlie Phillips/Dolphinchaz Mar 11

@callunavulgaris All in the line of work...

Il Fiore del Parmigiano Mar 10

@callunavulgaris "medieval ⁨archaeology⁩ degree which taught me no practical skills whatsoever" is deeply relatable.

@MrFesser 😄 I'm quite good at avoiding setting foot in the field 🤫