I have steered away from pandemic themes …

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Contributor: Gordon Bunting

I read quite a lot in normal times and so I think my reading consumption has not much changed in terms of quantity, nor have I switched to non-traditional formats. I have however taken the opportunity to finish some books long started and to make very serious inroads into that pile of books still waiting to be read. Genre has not much changed, no sudden need for spiritual consolation or self-help, romantic fiction or sporting biographies. I have steered away from pandemic themes but escapism has not really featured any more than usual among my choices. I would say I have a fairly catholic taste when it comes to books both fiction and non-fiction. My reading selection starts from a number of sources: suggestions from friends, serendipity, familiar authors or interesting themes. Reviews and media references often send me in search of a book too.

Five Books:

“The Mystery of Angelina Frood” by R. Austin Freeman

 Written in the late 1920s, this book is an example of crime fiction written in a style not uncommon then but now largely extinct. Bursting with moral judgement, social class and the mores of the era, very precisely crafted and set in the Medway Towns.

“Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout

 The book that introduced me to the exceptional talent of Elizabeth Strout. Set around the difficult personality of the protagonist in a small town in Maine.

“The City and the City” by China Miéville

 Miéville’s books can be off-putting but this one is simply a good read with a twist.

“Precious Bane” by Mary Webb

 An old Virago Modern Classic found a while back in a charity book sale and waiting to be read. Set in early 19th century rural Shropshire and a real gem.

“Oil, Power and War: A Dark History” (“Or noir”) by Matthieu Auzanneau

 A great brick of a book, designed to teach you more about the rise and subsequent development of the oil industry than you ever realised you had yet to learn. It is a tale of criminality, corruption, greed and dishonesty from start to finish, not lacking in shock value. A very well researched and presented treasure trove, it merits every minute vested in its reading.

Gordon Bunting is a retired teacher living in Paris.

Chesterton Mill

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Teenage me had a paper round and I used to deliver papers to a converted mill in the mid-1990s. It was the office building of an educational publisher called Pearson Publishing. Their order was all the daily papers plus a large amount of trade press. I used to have to do that drop-off first, then go back to the newsagent and collect the other papers. The mill is down a badly-lit private road and on dark winter mornings felt slightly eerie. But what was simply a nuisance to me at the time is actually an interesting place.

The mill itself dates from around 1850. Back then, the mill was surrounded by open fields (very difficult to imagine now). It was run by the miller William French and his family – hence the name of a nearby road, French’s Road. There was an orchard and smallholding on site, and other family members ran a bakery and general store on nearby Searle Street. By 1868, the family had installed a steam engine to enable work to take place more easily. The sails were removed in 1912. The mill was run by several generations of the French family for more than a hundred years, until 1955. William French is buried in the nearby Histon Road Cemetery.

Chesterton Mill is a Grade II listed building, due to its specific architectural and historical interest – it is the last smock mill in Cambridge. In 1986, the mill was converted to commercial use, which is how it is used to this day.

Caroline Mead was born and grew up in Cambridge, and works as a copywriter for the RSPB. Covid-permitting, she also enjoys choral singing, flute playing, bellydancing, ballet, running, walking, and discovering little-known parts of Cambridge. She has BAs from the Open University and the University of Birmingham, and an MA in Sociology from the University of York. She is also a qualified massage therapist.

With plenty of time on my hands, I have found it easier to read more demanding literature

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Contributor: Kathryn Jennings

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

I have found more time to read during lockdown and enjoyed reading whilst relaxing in my garden over the summer months. I usually just read during my commute on the train under normal circumstances. 

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Yes. I have read more classic literature books during lockdown. With plenty of time on my hands, I have found it easier to read more demanding literature. I have also continued to read a good amount of historical fiction.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

No.

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

As I have been unable to do my usual hobbies, such as church bell ringing, I have read more instead as an alternative way to provide a break from day-to-day stresses. I also completed Couch to 5K over the summer, which has benefitted my mental as well as physical health during a challenging time.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

I haven’t experienced much difference in my concentration levels during lockdown. I have made a point of taking regular exercise, however, which has improved my ability to focus whilst working from home. I am also fortunate to have a room I can use to work in without distraction. In fact, I found it possible to complete an online course through FutureLearn on the history of the book during the first lockdown, something I probably would not otherwise have done. 

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

No.

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

Suggestions usually come from family, friends and colleagues. Working as a library professional creates plenty of opportunities to talk about books and receive recommendations from others. I also enjoy browsing bookshops to discover the latest releases and reading reviews on the website Goodreads. 

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

I would usually borrow books through Cambridge University Library or my local public library, but with access to libraries much restricted I have been purchasing more books online than usual. 

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

I don’t have a pile of unread books, but I have purchased titles that have been on my list of books I want to read for some time. I finally got round to reading Jamaica Inn and couldn’t put it down!

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

I prefer reading physical books than listening to audiobooks, as I find I absorb more details of the storyline. However, I have listened to more podcasts during lockdown. One I have particularly enjoyed is You’re Dead to Me, a history podcast on BBC Sounds. 

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

No, although Love in the Time of Cholera is on my to-read list!

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

Jamaica Inn (Daphne Du Maurier) – well-written, mysterious and atmospheric. This is my favourite lockdown read. 

Mythos (Stephen Fry) – a witty and entertaining retelling of Greek Mythology. Great for building knowledge of the Greek Myths. This was recommended by a family member. 

An Officer and a Spy (Robert Harris) – a gripping spy thriller, set in France and based on the Dreyfus Affair. I bought this online after reading the reviews on Goodreads. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. 

As we headed into lockdown I was like a possessed woman, making sure that I had enough books

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Contributor: Katharine Dicks

I definitely read slightly more than usual at the beginning of lockdown but I think it is back to usual amounts now. As we headed into lockdown I was like a possessed woman, making sure that I had enough books. I usually have a list of books that I want to read and every now and again I will try and get a few from public libraries (I don’t very often buy books) but in the week before lockdown I borrowed a few from the University Library here in Cambridge (Enchanted April and a couple of German books) and went to several branch libraries to get copies, including Milton Rd and Arbury on the last Friday afternoon. I ended up with two large piles of books which I had to store in the dining room rather than my usual bedside table pile. And I was pleased that I was managing to read a book a week which is good for me.

My choice of reading material has not changed. I still select books that I want to read from reviews I hear or read or based on authors I have enjoyed in the past. I think in the early days of lockdown I did use my reading as a way to ensure that I got some “me” time, peace and quiet away from the rest of the household, an excuse to go and shut myself away for a while.

I know many people have spoken about finding it hard to read/concentrate during lockdown but this has not been my experience and I have not sought out pandemic books.

We have many books in our house that I would like to reread but I never seem to get round to it as there are always new books that I want to read.

I was able to start getting reading group books again from my local public library from August and at that time reservations were free so I was able to replenish my personal stock of books. Currently, public libraries are charging for reservations and I am not able to order specific books that I want to read without incurring a charge so just the other day I ordered online secondhand copies of some obscure books on my list which are not available from local libraries (The Fit by Philip Hensher, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page, Gabriel’s Angel by M Radcliffe, As it is in Heaven by Niall Williams) along with new books that we want to keep (What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe – one of my favourite books and inspired to reread after seeing the online theatre version last year – and Graham Swift new ones).

I enjoyed Enchanted April and several crime novels by Belinda Bauer. One of my standout books was With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix, a palliative care doctor writing about death and attitudes towards it. Sounds grim but I found her writing to be beautiful.

Another factor in me being able to read more than usual is probably the whole menopause sleep thing which means that I was sometimes the only one awake around midnight!

My experience during the first lockdown reminded me a lot of a classic episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone

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Contributor: David Chapman

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

Overall, I have read less than usual during the last year of on and off lockdowns. My experience during the first lockdown reminded me a lot of a classic episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. In ‘Time enough at last’ Burgess Meredith plays a bookish bank clerk who is continually frustrated whenever he tries to spend some quality time with a book. In the manner of The Twilight Zone he finds himself the only survivor of an apocalyptic nuclear war. Luckily the local public library also survives untouched, so our hero believes he will at last have all the time he wants to read, however, in the final twist he accidentally shatters his glasses, rendering him completely unable to see the print. 

At the start of the first national lockdown (almost a year ago), I selfishly and short-sightedly viewed the situation as an opportunity to get some reading done in time that would ordinarily have been taken up by work or social obligations that now could not go ahead. I managed to borrow a few hefty, improving works of literature from the University Library before we closed down indefinitely and for the first few weeks things went as I had planned. With nowhere to go and little to do, I was able to spend more time reading than I had in years. Unfortunately, like the character in The Twilight Zone, all too soon I found myself suddenly unable to read. This was not due to broken glasses, but a purely psychological difficulty. I could read work emails, I could read twitter, I could read the back of a cereal packet, but anything that required sustained attention or consideration on my part was out of the question. I do not know exactly what the cause was. I think in part a lack of physical exercise and fresh air contributed, as did the way working from home blurred the boundaries between work and leisure time. Whatever the case, over the summer, when I was able to spend more time outdoors and physically return to work at the Library, my mood improved and my ability to concentrate on reading did gradually return.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Have you switched from your normal genre? Eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

When I did start reading again, I tried to pick books that I was confident I would be able to finish because I wanted to avoid another bout where I stopped reading altogether. For that reason I tended toward short novels or short story collections. I also read more genre fiction and I was less likely to try books with challenging writing. 

My reading during this time was almost all by authors I was already familiar with. The only exception to this was Normal People by Sally Rooney, which was recommended to me by some friends during the period over the summer when it was extremely fashionable. 

I have not been influenced to read any books about pandemics. I have never found plagues to be a particularly interesting topic and living through one has only added to my belief that they are fundamentally quite dull. However, there has been a lasting change in my attitude to reading and choice of reading material.   

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

I have made a few attempts at listening to audiobooks, but I find it very difficult to just sit back and listen. Having my hands free means that I am always tempted to start doing something else at the same time and the audiobooks struggle to keep my attention. Sometimes if I am enjoying the story, but having difficulty concentrating I will just get the print copy and read that instead. 

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

I don’t know If I’ve read enough over the last year to recommend 5 whole books, but 2 which I am reading right now are:

The Master and Margarita by Michael Bulgakov (translated by Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O’Connor). I am reading this as part of a book group where we read and discuss 3 chapters a week. I find that the social component and the deadline combined with the relatively small amount of material to get through has been really helpful in motivating me to read. It doesn’t hurt that it is also a wonderfully well written book.

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen. This is a non-fiction account of a journey the author took in the Himalayas with the zoologist George Schaller in search of the titular big cat. It’s an a really vivid and engaging travelogue, so be aware that if you start reading it, you may end up wanting to drop everything and head for Nepal yourself.  

I listen to audiobooks or podcasts when I am out walking or doing something mundane like housework

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Contributor: Nicky Morland

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

A little more.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

No.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

No, a mix of fiction and factual.

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

No.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

No.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

No. This does happen but hasn’t recently. 

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

Mainly friends or via my bookclub. Sometimes from the radio. I get a regular email from Waterstones which gives me info on recently published books. My most recent inspiration came from an online talk by Kate Williams run by the National Archives on Emma Hamilton, England’s Mistress. I bought her book afterwards.

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

Mostly Abebooks, so second hand. New books either Waterstones of Amazon. Audiobooks I get via Cambridgeshire Libraries.

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

Yes I have started reading the Tudor series (Phillipa Gregory) of which I had read a couple, had a number to read and filled in the gap (from Abebooks) so that I can read them in chronological order.

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? 

No, I listen to audiobooks or podcasts when I am out walking or doing something mundane like housework.

If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

See my comment about the Hilary Mantel books below. 

I have just started Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo which has very little punctuation and a style of presentation that is perhaps (have only read a few pages) described as verse like. I have also got the audiobook on a reservation so that will be an interesting comparison.

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

No not books. I get a lot of info and factual reading matter via links from the social media channels I follow especially via Twitter.

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

Books

The John Shakespeare series of historical thrillers by Rory Clements. I had picked up one at the start of lockdown last year and enjoyed it so much bought the rest from the series. I have sent them off to my sister who I know will enjoy them.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I have been telling everyone to read this true story.

Audiobooks

All 3 of the Hilary Mantel series on Thomas Cromwell. They are abridged, though still 25 hours of listening in total. I had tried to read Wolf Hall a few years ago but couldn’t get along with it, however wanted to have ‘read’ the series.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold.

 

Now there are so many fewer things to do outside the house, it is easier to get a solid block of time in which to read without distraction

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Contributor: Holly Rees

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

I have read a lot more than usual during lockdown. The additional time that I have at home since lockdown has been a lovely opportunity to read more. I am not doing things like going climbing, skiing or out for other social activities (or even going to the supermarket very often!!) so I have found myself both reading more and watching more films.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Not directly. I think what has affected my choice of reading material has been the social reckoning related to the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA (where I live). Over the summer, this lead me to read more informational non-fiction books about anti-racism and the history of racial injustice in the USA and Europe. I have also tried to read books from a authors across a broader range of nationality, gender and race than I used to.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

I did try reading some poetry for variety, but I did not enjoy it all that much!! I have really enjoyed a few anthologies of short stories, a genre that I had not read at all before the lockdown. 

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, for escapism, distraction?

I don’t think so. 

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

I would almost say the opposite. Now there are so many fewer things to do outside the house, it is easier to get a solid block of time in which to read without distraction.

Now that you can’t go to a bookshop or library to browse, how do you get inspiration for titles? (Radio? Friends? Online reviews? Emails from Amazon, Waterstones, etc?) 

I get a lot of books as ebooks (Kindle) from the Boston Public Library, who also have great recommendations. Recommendations from “famous” individuals (particularly Roxanne Gay and Barack Obama) have also been major sources of book ideas for me.  Finally, I use a website called “Goodreads” to note and review books that I read, and I have a couple of voracious reader friends who also use it. I can see what they are reading and how well they like it, so I use this as another great source of recommendations.

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

Not really!!! I think since I moved to the US 6 years ago I haven’t had time to amass a collection of unread books.

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than, or in addition to, reading? If so, does listening add something different/extra to your experience of the book that you don’t get by reading it yourself?

Yes! I use Audible (which is unfortunately now Amazon-owned, but sadly remains one of the best options for audiobooks), or the public library when possible. I listen while I exercise, walk to and from work or do other chores. I really love the experience of being read to, especially if it is an autobiography that is read by the author or a novel read by the author. I’m currently listening to Cicely Tyson’s autobiography “Just as I am”, read by her. It feels like a privilege to listen to her telling me her own life story.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

Not very frequently. There have been a couple of audiobooks I didn’t like and didn’t bother finishing “Clanlands” (this was absolutely not what I expected – very focused on the friendship between the narrators and not on Scottish history!!!) and “The Shadow King” – I really want to like this novel about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, but it was perhaps a bit complicated to get into as an audiobook – I kept getting very confused.  

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

No!!! I don’t want to read about it!! 

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

Boston Public Library (eBooks and some audiobooks), Harvard Bookstore (can order books for pickup or go instore for short periods with limited capacity) and Audible (audiobooks – I get 2 per month).

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed/that have helped you during lockdown?

  1. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah: This was utterly hilarious, as well as providing some insights into what life was like as a mixed race child under the crelty of apartheid in South Africa.
  2. “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin Diangelo: This was quite an uncomfortable read since I could recognize a lot of negative thought patterns in myself, but I am glad I have taken in the information. I hope to revisit it frequently to avoid forgetting.
  3. “The Great Believers” Rebecca Makkai. A wonderful, and very sad, recent novel about the AIDS crisis in the US.
  4. “Our house is on fire: Scenes of a family in crisis” by Malena Ernman, Greta Thunberg, Svante Thunberg, Beata Ernman. 
  5. “The collapsing empire” by John Scalzi. I never, ever, thought I would like a sci-fi book, but this was extremely compulsive. 

I am definitely reading more in lockdown

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Contributor: Regina

 

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

 

I am definitely reading more in lockdown which is great because I used to read a lot but in recent years I had less and less time for reading.

 

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

 

It was not lockdown – it is a change that started with me. I now read more self-improvement books than before but still sneaking some old favourites in between.

 

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

 

Yes, I kind of answered this above.

 

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

 

My choice of reading is considerably influenced by the mental change that started in Jan- Feb 2020. I am mainly reading to learn at the moment.

 

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

 

No, in a way it is much better because I have more time and I am beginning to understand what is important to me, rather than being swept by daily life

 

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

 

Occasionally I do that 🙂

 

Where do you get inspiration for titles?

 

Mentors and peers mainly.

 

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

 

Amazon.

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

 

No.

 

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

 

No, just reading old fashioned books.

 

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Jour- nal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

 

No.

 

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

 

My favourite Steinbeck – any book you pick is good!
3 Simple Steps by Trevor G Blake
The Chimp Paradox (haven’t finished this one yet but it is promising)
There is nothing wrong with you – don’t remember the author but it is a lovely lady

 

 

I’ve been using novels as a good way of winding down at the end of the day

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Contributor: Joe McIntyre

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

I’ve been reading more than usual.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Yes.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

No. Pretty much the same, but falling back on some old favourites to bring comfort.

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

I’ve been using novels as a good way of winding down at the end of the day, reading a chapter or two each night before bed.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

Certainly for long periods during the day, when I can be easily diverted to other activities. My concentration improves at night, but is short lived because I am tired.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

No, but I have purchased several books and then lost interest before starting them.

Where do you get inspiration for titles?

Often from television or radio interviews with authors, occasionally from an “if you liked this, you will want to read this…” type recommendations on websites.

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

Amazon, I am afraid.

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

Yes.

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

Yes, but I always have when doing things like cooking.

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

No.

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

Mrs Searwood’s Secret Weapon (Leonard Wibberley) – After escaping to the countryside after bomb-torn London, Mrs Searwood must contend not only with village life and the suspicions of the locals but also the unexpected arrival of her Indian spirit guide. A gentle romp with the stylings of an Ealing comedy.

A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions (Mark Forsyth) – a fascinating debunking of much we accept about Christmas, revealing the truth about many of the traditions we take for granted.

The Space Cat series (Ruthven Todd) – a collection of four short children’s books, written in the middle of the Atomic Age, an alternate history of the race to the stars seen through the eyes of a thoughtful and intelligent feline narrator.

Period Piece (Gwen Raverat) – the reminiscences of Charles Darwin’s granddaughter, growing up in Cambridge at the end of the nineteenth century.

The Trigan Empire (various volumes, Don Lawrence et al) ongoing collection of the comic strip originally published in Look and Learn during the early sixties to the mid-eighties. Stunning artwork, digitally restored, chronicling the rise and fall of a great empire in a distant galaxy (with a nod or two to the myths surrounding the birth of the Roman Empire).

 

 

I discovered that I can enjoy reading more than one book at a time, which was something of a revelation.

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Contributor: Pat Aske

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

More. When I was a working Librarian, I only found time to read at night but that has all changed.  I now have more time to read during the day.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Definitely.  I discovered that I can enjoy reading more than one book at a time, which was something of a revelation.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

Yes, I used to read mainly novels but now I read non-fiction (biographies or histories) during the day and read novels at night.

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

Yes, reading during the day certainly helps pass the time profitably and is a good distraction.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

No, not until now when it seems lockdown is coming to an end and the future seems a bit uncertain.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

Well, I rarely do that, but I must confess to having abandoned Ulysses half-way through.  I have every intention of picking it up again, though.

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

Reviews sometimes, word of mouth, but usually by browsing in Heffers.

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

I have ordered some books online from Bookshop which supports independent booksellers and I have a small pile of presents waiting to be read.

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

I did start doing that but there were too many tempting new books to read.

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

I have not but I may do that in the future.  At the moment I listen to the radio as an alternative to reading but I will try audio books.

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

I have not read any books about pandemics since Covid but before this crisis I had read The road by Cormac McCarthy which was harrowing and terrifying.  

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

William Dalrymple: The Anarchy

Robert Hughes: Rome

Sebastian Barry: Days without End

Hilary Mantel: The Mirror and the Light

Absolute favourite- Philip Pullman: The Secret Commonwealth