A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins

   

It's a concise illustrated brief history of England (not Britain) since the beginning of times (after the Romans left) to the present, quite up-to-date, considering.

It helped me to give some order to my weak understanding of British history

Due to the conciseness it feels more like a list of names and dates, simply listing the names of kings, the dates of battles, and occasionally makes a comment on the culture or economy of the time.

City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence

 


I found this to be a gripping insight into the lives of people living in a refugee camp.

This is a huge culture shock, and I think that was ultimately the point. I had no idea this refugee camp existed, let alone that it is the largest ever. I had no idea there were so many disadvantaged people, with limited resources and an expansive population boom.
However, at times it was confusing to read as it jumps from person to person, and I had a hard time separating what was an overall review of current events and what was specific to one person's circumstances.

Human Universe by Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen

 
The book helps the non-physics graduate catch up with hard science - it is a
fascinating and enjoyable read about mind-boggling facts and discoveries relating to our universe.

Cox and Cohen look at five basic questions - where are we? are we alone? who are we? why are we here (not meaning why some man in a beard decided to put us here but what are the conditions that enabled our existence) and, the weakest section, what is our future?

 

Hidden Lives: A Family Memoir by Margaret Forster

What a fascinating read about the changes in society over the last century.

It is an incredible and personal insight into family life.

I was intrigued by the hint of a little mystery, the woman dressed in black, that visits the Grandmother but disappointed that the story never was really addressed.

Down To The Sea In Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men by Horatio Clare

t is a fascinating book to read as Clare gets to the heart of the shipping industry and the people that run these ships.

 

It covers almost everything the layman could want to know about container ships and how they operate in two sections: To the East and West and North. 

The two sections cover different size ships and the lives of the crews at sea while also throwing in the different pay rates for Filipinos and other nations, women at sea, how the author and the seamen feel about their ships and the work they do, hazards of the work and the two World Wars. 

All this in 348 pages making for a very interesting read.

Murder for Christmas (Vintage Murder Mystery) by Francis Duncan

 

I really rather enjoyed this Christie-esque mystery with its oddball cast of characters, and a rather intriguing amateur detective, Mordecai Tremaine

 

The detective is appealing in a slightly eccentric Poirot way.

 

This Christmas themed crime novel from the late 40s is well-plotted, atmospheric and entertaining - just the kind of cosy crime novel you might want to read at Christmas in fact (as I did!)

Walking Backwards to Christmas: An Advent journey from light to darkness by Stephen Cottrell

           

The story is told with each chapter depicting a different perspective from the people involved, from the shepherds to King Herod to Mary, and several others.

It is a wonderfully engaging and unique re-telling of the Christmas story. It begins when Mary and Joseph are presenting baby Jesus if the temple and goes back to the prophesies of Isaiah and Moses. It's an interesting way of telling the story, but what is so great about it is the writing and the characters. 


I really enjoyed this.