“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt. Originally put off reading it by the rave reviews, it is in fact, very good indeed, building in a haunting, slow but gripping way.
“The British” by Jeremy Paxman. Acute observation of a very odd bunch. Errrr.
“Time of Hope” by C P Snow. Re-read. I explain in my Pre-diary how important this series had been to me in my college days.
"George Passant" by C P Snow. My odyssey through Strangers & Brothers again.
"The Chimney-Sweeper's Boy" by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell). Absolute tour de force.
"The Conscience of the Rich" by C P Snow.
"Me and Kaminski" by Daniel Kehlmann. Many loose ends as everyone in the book lies their heads off!
"The Light & the Dark" by C P Snow.
"The Masters" by C P Snow.
"The New Men" by C P Snow
"Somewhere Towards the End" by Diana Athill. Lovely memoir but she has some dodgy attitudes which prdictably wound Avis up when she got round to reading it.
"The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross. Lucid & informative survey of 20thC classical music.
"The Asquiths" by Colin Clifford. Very good.
"Duel in the Snows" by Charles Allen. The unedifying story of the Younghusband Mission to Lhasa in 1904.
"Midnight Oil" by V S Pritchett. Was Dad's. Lovely memoir of his 20s & up to the end of the War.
"Britain AD" by Francis Pryor. Re-read for a possible King Arthur lecture.
"Me Cheeta" by James Lever. Very funny & revealing.
"The Suspicions of Mr Whitcher" by Kate Summerscale. A Brilliant evocation of Victorian England & written in the style of Wilkie Collins.
"The Harlequin Years, Music in Paris 1917-1929" by Roger Nichols. A highly informative delight.
"The Moneymaker" By Janet Gleeson. Fascinating life of John Law & appropriate to the present economic conditions!
"The Affair" by C P Snow. Re-read.
"Hitler's Empire" by Mark Mazower. Concentrates on administrative matters. Very good. Tactfully, I took this to the Austrian Alps.
"Satan's Circus" by Mike Dash. About the only NYPD cop to be executed for murder, which he probably did not do.
"Sentimental Education" by Gustave Flaubert. Splendidly written but I could have given the anti-hero a good shaking & told him to get a grip. His failure to get a come-uppance is mildly disappointing, but consistent with the philosophy of the book.
"The Moonstone" byWilkie Collins. The original great crime novel.
"9.11 The New Evidence" by Ian Henshall. More stuff comes out.
"Fleeced!" by David Craid & Matthew Elliott. Right-wing rant but with some good points about bankers & the Tories inexperience.
"Flaubert - a Life" by Frederick Brown. Wonderful & written in an almost Flaubertian style.