Tagged with kindle

Looking back at a year of reading 2025 edition

Nearing the end of another year, and time for my annual recap of the books I’ve read in the last year, including general patterns, favourites etc. I enjoy looking back each year, and hope that the books mentioned may help some others.

To be blunt I’m also still delighted that I’m reading masses, albeit in increasingly difficult circumstances. I’ve lived with a progressive neurological disease now for 31 years, and although we’ve been able, with strong ongoing treatment, to slow the progression down a lot, it does mean that I am now extremely disabled and restricted. Including in what I can read.

Fortunately ebooks with gargantuan size fonts came to the rescue for me, and help me continue reading. I also still read graphic novels, though I am less likely to read traditional print. I have been an enthusiastic reader throughout all my life, and it’s very important to me that I can keep reading. I also have a PhD in historic reading habits … So yes, invested!

Looking back at the year I finished 58 books this year, the same number as in 2024, compared with 60 in 2023, and 75 in 2022. I don’t generally read short books, and my 58 books this year represent over 16,000 pages of reading. An average of over 300 pages a week. Almost always read on my Kindle, late at night, or during the day fitting around my extended sleeping and bedbound periods. I am usually reading lying down …

The picture below shows a glimpse of some of the books I was reading.

Screenshot showing a variety of book covers, including "Insomniacs After School" manga, "Forgotten Churches", a Peter Capaldi 12th Doctor graphic novel, "Some of Us Just Fall" by Polly Atkin, and many more. Very varied designs.

Two thirds of the books I read this year were fiction, and one third were non fiction. I tend to prefer reading novels, but also enjoy reading short stories. And my non fiction reading is quite varied and wide ranging. I tend not to read poetry, though I enjoy it, but occasionally read plays, including this year Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, the fictional retelling of the relationship between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, recently staged in London with Edward Bluemel and Ncuti Gatwa playing those roles. I enjoyed reading this play script a lot, rating it 5/5 on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

I had a number of other 5-star reads this year, including the 1988 painting book The Silvery Tay: Paintings and sketches from a Scottish river by Keith Brockie. Obviously of great interest to me living in Dundee. Similarly Luke Sherlock’s mix of architecture, history and place Forgotten Churches: Exploring England’s Hidden Treasures was a total delight.

My favourite genre for reading by a very long way is fantasy – not scifi, even though I’m a big fan of TV scifi series like Doctor Who, Babylon 5 and Star Trek. This year, for the first time, I read a Robin Hobb book, Assassin’s Apprentice, and was wowed. Though devastated in places while reading too! I expect to read more of her books. Better late than never. Other genres that I regularly enjoy reading include history, horror (though horror is very carefully selected to avoid some things that are too triggering for me) and manga.

I continued to slowly read Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series of books. I’ve been reading them, widely spread out alongside other books, slowly since October 2021. This year I read books 9 and 10 – the latter a particularly disappointing book, though I had been forewarned. Things should pick up after that point, and I expect to read books 11 and 12 in 2026, and hopefully 13 and 14 in 2027. To take me to the end of the series. I am still enjoying this series, though am taking an extremely strategic approach to get me to the end.

As usual I reread a few books. Every October, I read A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny, the gothic horror tale of a mysterious game taking place in the Victorian English countryside around Halloween. I am one of many many people around the world who reread this book every year at this time.

At the start of the year I reread my favourite Charles Dickens book, Our Mutual Friend. A palette cleanser after a rather torrid read of something else! And I am continuing to slowly work my way through a reread of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes short stories. Which I am enjoying immensely as always, and writing little capsule reviews/thoughts on each one on my Dreamwidth blog.

Another book that I reread this year, for the first time in 30 years or so, was George Mackay Brown’s award-winning and Booker-shortlisted Beside the Ocean of Time. Told through the dreams and imaginings of a young Orcadian boy, this is a lyrical and powerful telling of Orkney history through time. An absolute highlight for me this year, and thoroughly recommended.

I also reread Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men, continuing my slow reread of his “Witches” books in his Discworld fantasy series, following a slow reread some years ago of *all* of his Discworld books. This book is the very first book he wrote about young witch Tiffany Aching, and is a joy, and assumes no prior knowledge of the Discworld series. I was so happy to read it again, and have the rest of Tiffany’s books to reread in coming years too.

Continuing my love of fantasy books, I read a number of newly published fantasy books this year. Two 4-star reads for me were V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, and R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis. The former a tale of vampires, over many centuries, the latter a journey into the Underworld by two students of magic at Cambridge University in England, trying to save their academic supervisor, so they can complete their PhDs. Both were enjoyable, but not quite hitting the top spot for me. But I’m very glad that I read them.

The V.E. Schwab book was a book club read for me this year. Other book club reads for me included The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany (liked it, but glacially slow, and more descriptive than either plot-driven or character-driven) and Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu (I greatly disliked the very convoluted writing style, which I could barely read). I don’t read all of my book club monthly reading choices, but cherry pick the ones of most interest to me.

I’d like to mention a couple of other books that I particularly enjoyed. Firstly D.V. Bishop’s City of Vengeance, the first in his series of 16th century set Florence thrillers. Gripping! I will definitely read more. Notebook by Tom Cox was a 5-star read for me, a delightful set of varied scribblings and musings, often funny. Tom has had a torrid time with his former publisher Unbound, who treated him and other authors appallingly, as well as pre-order customers like me. If you want to read this or any of his other books, make sure that you get the new edition from his new publisher Swift Books, who are publishing his new books and rereleasing his old ones. Unscrupulous resellers are reselling copies of his former Unbound-published book, but Tom doesn’t get any revenue from those sales. The same applies to other ex Unbound authors, whose books are being resold similarly.

I’ve written a lot, so I think I should wrap things up now. Hopefully some of this was of interest to others. I’m delighted to report another good year for reading for me, despite everything. Hopefully next year will also bring fun reads, new book and new author discoveries, and the delights of rediscovering old favourites.

Review of “Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots” by Jade Scott

I read this book recently on my Kindle. It was published in October 2024 in the UK, and is newly out in February 2025 in the US.

I went into this book expecting it to focus on the recently deciphered letters of Mary Queen of Scots found in the Bibliothèque Nationale in France. It does use some of these newly decoded letters in its discussion, but alongside many more previously decrypted letters by Mary, especially those held in the English National Archives in London.

The book’s focus is on Mary’s period of captivity, so 1567-1587, and especially 1568 onwards when she was a captive in England. However, before this the book contains lengthy coverage of her prior history, especially her marriages to Darnley and Bothwell. The book assumes no prior knowledge from the reader. But it does mean that you only get to the discussion of the decrypted letters relatively far into the book as a whole.

However, when you get here, there is the most thorough discussion I’ve ever seen in a book of Mary’s correspondence and activities during her period of captivity. Unlike some past biographies, it shows her as a highly active and engaged prisoner, using networks of correspondence – conducted through secret routes and encrypted letters – to reach out for help, and engage in plots and strategies for her release. This section is incredibly detailed, and well cited, with source references to letters discussed. It also explains the evolving network Mary was working within, including her secretaries, and various people, including foreign ambassadors, who helped her correspond with the outside world.

At the end the book ends rather abruptly, with Mary’s execution, and then, and rather strangely for me, a chapter about James VI and his relationship with and attitudes to his mother. I would have liked more assessment from the author here on Mary as a person, and whether her personality and story should be reassessed in the light of the letters. I just wanted more reflection at this point on Mary, not James. Until then it was very strong.

After the main text the book contains a summary chronology, lengthy notes/citations, and a bibliography. In the Kindle edition the end of the book includes the many illustrations, though I don’t know if these appear earlier in the printed version of the book. There is an index at the back. The opening of the book includes a list of “Dramatis Personae”, including most of the figures discussed in the text. This would be especially useful to readers of the print edition to flick back to, when reading the detailed discussion of the letters, though is cumbersome to switch back to on the Kindle.

Not quite the book I was expecting going in as a reader, but, actually, something much better. Highly recommended, though perhaps best read in print if you can.

Cover of "Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots" by Jade Scott. The cover is richly designed, with emblems such as the thistle and rose against a rich blue background. At the top of the cover is a contemporary image of Mary herself. Around the edge designs twine further.

Looking back at a year of reading 2024 edition

It’s Hogmanay 2024, so time for another year’s reading retrospective from me! I adore reading, but read with great difficulty now due to my progressive neurological disease. I really envied the historic readers I was studying for my history PhD on Scottish reading habits … Thankfully my Kindle lets me read with an utterly gargantuan font, so I’m still gobbling up books, even as my disease continues to progress. But print books are rarely feasible for me now. Though I still read and enjoy graphic novels.

This year I finished 58 books, almost 17,000 pages read, and an average of 325 pages a week. Of these most of the books were fiction, with just 17 non fiction. I also read a couple of plays, and some works of poetry. The picture below shows a glimpse of some of the books I was reading over the months.

Various covers, including in the centre "Why We Love Middle-Earth" showing a warm Prancing Pony scene, and around the edge covers for some other books, including non fiction, manga and fantasy.

20 of this year’s books were fantasy, my favourite genre by far. This included a number of rereads, such as Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring and Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising. I also did my usual pre-Halloween reread of Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October. Great new fantasy discoveries for me this year included V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic and Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle – yes I’m a bit behind the game with these ones!

I also read 10 graphic novels or manga books. Particularly manga books, and especially the Insomniacs After School series, which I found a delightful mix of slice of life, growing up, insomnia, astronomy and light romance. Quite a mix. I was also constantly amused because the main male character looks like a young version of my husband of 30 years!

16 reads were non fiction. I always have multiple non fiction books on the go. Highlights included Marchese and Sisto’s Why We Love Middle-earth: An Enthusiast’s Book about Tolkien, Middle-earth, and the LotR Fandom; Travis Nelson’s Sigrid Rides: The Story of an Extraordinary Friendship and An Adventure on Two Wheels; Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief (like a slow motion car crash, but unputdownable); Oliver Darkshire’s Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller; and Aaron A. Reed’s 50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to A.I. Dungeon, which was a stunning achievement.

In my Goodreads record I rated 19 of this year’s reads 5 star, including 4 of the 5 books I reread this year. My average Goodreads rating was 3.8, but I did abandon some books that weren’t working for me, and didn’t record a score for them. And others are set to the side to be resumed later.

Looking ahead to 2025 I want to continue my very slow read of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I think I am up to book 9 now. I’d also like to read more history books, and continue rereading some Shakespeare plays. Above all though I want to read and have fun, and look forward to discovering new gems as well as rediscovering old favourites.

Looking back at a year of reading 2023 edition

End of another year, and time for another end of year reading retrospective from me, looking back at the books I read for fun in 2023. I adore reading, despite my progressive neurological disease meaning that I am often heavily sedated, and struggle hugely with print. Most books are read with an utterly gigantic font on my Kindle. But I gobble up books. I even have a PhD in historic Scottish reading habits, so it’s nice when I can gobble up books myself, and not just stare longingly at past historic readers who in some cases could read more than me!

This year I finished 60 books, almost 20,000 pages read, average 375 pages a week. Of these 42 of the books were fiction, 17 non fiction, and 1 a poetry collection. Here is a link to my full list for the year on Goodreads. And the picture below shows a glimpse of some of the books I was reading over the months.

Three rows of book covers side by side, including books by people like Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and others. A huge mix of colours and designs.

20 of the books were fantasy genre, and 7 graphic novels or manga or comic books. Fantasy remains my favourite genre by far, and I can still read and enjoy graphic novels and manga despite my neurological problems with print. 8 books I would categorise as historical fiction (with some overlap in cases with the fantasy count), but just 6 were scifi. I read some scifi – especially Doctor Who novels – but am not a fan of hard scifi. Despite adoring since childhood first Star Trek and then Doctor Who, Babylon 5 and others. But reading is mostly about fantasy for me. I also have a fondness for children’s or YA fiction from time to time, and read 9 of those this year, ranging from old classics to modern. Only 5 of my reads this time were horror genre.

In some recent years I’ve reread a lot of much loved novels for comfort. There was less of that this year, though I reread a few, such as my annual pre-Halloween read of Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October. I continued my slow Wheel of Time read, with 3 more novels in that series – up to the end of number 7 now, and hoping for another couple next year. Though I’ve tended towards shorter rather than longer novels. I also read some novels for the book club I’m in.

I am surprised by how many non fiction books I gobbled up. I read these alongside fiction, flitting between the two night to night. And I had some really good non fiction reads this year. In fact when I look at my top rated books and think about which books made the biggest impression on me in 2023 it’s 3 non fiction books that stand out most.

The first two were read at the very start of the year. Firstly Mensun Bound’s The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance, which was a very rare in print read for me, after I managed to nab a signed copy from my local bookshop in Broughty Ferry. Even knowing the ending of the story this was still a gripping page turner. And I cried tears at the end. Another tear jerker, though happy too, was Rob Wilkins’ Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography. Which was a deftly written biography of a much loved author, and so phenomenally insightful. I was delighted later in the year when it won the Hugo Award for best related work.

The third standout non fiction book was The Climate Book, written by Greta Thunberg and many many others. This is probably the most important book I have ever read. Certainly the most affecting. It’s devastating in many places, but something I needed to get to grips with. And there are seeds of hope in there. But yes, just read it.

Although my favourite books were non fiction I’d like to mention my favourite fiction books of the year too. Firstly Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, which was a cosy fantasy, combining a traditional fantasy world and characters with the comfort of coffee shop culture. So good! Another standout was Bob Mortimer’s comic novel The Satsuma Complex, another award winning book, which had more than a hint of Douglas Adams about its writing. It felt almost like another Dirk Gently book. And so very very funny. Finally, classic scifi The Technicolor Time Machine by Harry Harrison sees a film crew go back in time in a time machine to film a Hollywood blockbuster, with totally authentic scenery and cast – real Vikings! This was utterly bonkers. A joy.

Looking ahead to 2024 I’d like to reread The Lord of the Rings, and also Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens – both some of my most favourite books. And long books, so I’ll be aiming more for quality than quantity. Would also like to get through a couple more Wheel of Time books. And read more books in translation. But yes, just keep reading!

Thoughts on World Book Day, childhood reading and having done a PhD on reading habits

Today is World Book Day 2022, a celebration of reading in the UK and Ireland, targeted especially at children and young people. It is a day for celebrating the power of reading, but also for showing youngsters how they can access it and benefit from it. And I am a big fan.

I was an enthusiastic childhood reader, with early visits to Melrose public library, and still remember borrowing Enid Blyton books and Tudor history. Then when we moved back to Hawick I devoured first the children’s basement floor of the Hawick public library – a grand Carnegie library with lovely architecture – and then was allowed to borrow from the “grown ups” section. There I devoured masses of Agatha Christie books, science fiction and fantasy, as well as doing research into my family history in the research part of the library. I also borrowed books from primary school and secondary school libraries, and the Wilton church Sunday School small library.

Years on reading is much harder for me, thanks to a progressive neurological disease that struck in 1994 when I was just 22. Soon I could no longer easily manage print for extended periods, even large print was troublesome. But then eBooks came along, which I could adjust to have a quite ginormous font, and I was reading again. I adore reading, and on my Kindle usually have a couple of novels on the go, as well as various non fiction books. All read with a gargantuan font that lets me keep reading. I pick up a lot of bargain eBooks in sales, and also read free ones from Project Gutenberg.

However World Book Day has a special significance for me now because between 2003 and 2010 I completed a part time PhD at Dundee University on Scottish reading habits between circa 1750 and 1820. This was a surprising route to take. I’d studied first computer science at university until my illness struck. Then I retrained as a historian. But I was not in any way a literature student.

I worked part time as a research assistant 2003-4 on Bob Harris’s Scottish Small Towns Project, working on the pilot study in Angus. And among other things this introduced me to the history of reading and book history, as I uncovered the history of cultural activity in Angus in the 18th and early 19th centuries, including the spread of libraries, newspapers and bookshops. I discovered that library borrowing records existed rarely in Scotland (though since then more have turned up, all welcome!) and how researchers like Paul Kaufman had showed these could be analysed. And I was entranced.

At the same time I was completing a taught MPhil degree and pondering if I wanted to try for a history PhD. And I couldn’t get away from wanting to research reading habits more. Bob Harris agreed to supervise me, and I started a self funded PhD, though later won funding from AHRC for the rest of my part-time PhD. My approach was very much social and cultural history rather than literary, as I got to grips researching what Scots were reading and how they fitted this into their lives in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Magic, though with my own reading problems due to illness/disability I was frequently envious of how “my readers” in the past were managing to access books!

My PhD thesis is online and freely available for all to read. In a nutshell though it showed how reading was growing in Scotland in this period, and how important reading was as an activity throughout the country and at all levels of society. A very positive thumbs up for reading.

So whenever World Book Day comes around I think back to my historic research in this field, while at the same time looking forward to my future reading. I am so lucky I got to complete a PhD on this topic. And so grateful I can still read, albeit with considerable adjustments, and a gargantuan font, thankfully helped hugely by adjustable eBooks.