Read in 2020

Read in 2020

1. Drawn and Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels Tom Devlin Finished: Dec 16 Amazon

   Brill introduction to loads of interesting styles and way to create. Wish I owned rather than borrowed.

2. Dear Data Giorgia Lupi Finished: Nov 1 Amazon

   Not one to complete - but one to dip in and out of. Lovely to see a subject expored in this way.

3. Thinking, Fast And Slow Daniel Kahneman Finished: Oct 4 Amazon

   I keep banging on to anyone who cares about how good this is.

4. Demon Barber Lynn Barber Finished: Aug 23 Amazon

   Not quite sure where Lynn Barber gets here reputation as a fearsome interviewer based on this collection. Yes, there are notable examples where she goes for people, but in the way they are written they never seem unfair - they are her opinions, backed up with reasons. The technique falls down a little when the interviewee is a bit meh, and so the interview ends up that way - the Felicity Kendall one springs to mind. I was told to look out for the Harriett Harman hatchet job, but it seemed fairly innocuous to me.

5. Gavin Henson: My Grand Slam Year Gavin Henson Finished: Aug 17 Amazon

   I can sort of see how it was controversial, but also seems a bit quaint 15 years on. Hardly a revelation that Clive Woodward was an odd fish, Alastair Campbell was controlling and Work is baffling. Essentially someone moaning about office politics - where the office happens to be a Rugby pitch.

6. Allan Bateman: There and Back Again Allan Bateman Finished: Aug 16 Amazon

   Better than the average Rugby Bio, which is faint praise. Unfussy and pleasant enough, with more dishing the dirt bits than I would have expected, but even they are delivered with a polite smile.

7. Getting Physical - Scott Gibbs Scott Gibbs Finished: Aug 14 Amazon

   It was clear early in on this book that Scott Gibbs is atypical. And likes to write in short sentences. It makes the book quite easy to read. Sentences like the way he played. No fancy digressions, deviations or clauses. Not bothered much by something as quaint as a contract. No greatest players chapter. He doesn't seem that bothered about Rugby Union. Just a job. Which he was rather good at.

8. Full Moon: Rugby in the Red Rupert Moon Finished: Aug 13 Amazon

   Easier read than other sports autobiographies I've read.Moves along at a pace and has a sense of what a journey it is to get the top of your sport - especially when you're not a star from early days. Slows up a bit in the inevitable 'state of the game' passages, and surprised (and not unhappy) there was no 'greatest players' chapter - they seem to be obligatory.

9. Gareth Edwards : The Autobiography Gareth Edwards Finished: Aug 11 Amazon

   For a start it's not an autobiography. It's not auto, and there's precious little biography. Seems like a nice enough chap, but a collection of rambling opinions about the past and future of rugby made this a bit of a slog. Usual 'state of the game' and 'great players' chapters, mixed up with topical in 1999 references to club v country problems, player workload, the problems of professionalism and more...

10. Jonathan Davies: An Autobiography Jonathan Davies Finished: Aug 3 Amazon

    Better written than the last two, and with a curious turns approach where the journo has a go and then you get Jonathan's version. It works ok; Peter Corrigan's bits are a bit more flowery as you'd expect and there's a nagging feeling it's a way to pad things out a bit. Strangest thing is that it was written in the middle of a still active career, and turned mainly on the big talking point of his (then) recent convert to league. So very of it's time, but interesting.

11. Codes of Misconduct Adrian Hadley Finished: Jul 30 Amazon

    Hilariously grumpy. He's always pissed off (his words) about something or someone. Dressed up as 'telling it like it is, it's classic sportball bio - plenty of score settling, and explanations of workplace shenanigans. Mostly not that interesting, but occasionally laugh out loud funny - often for the wrong reasons - Adrian really hates the French for example. For a supposed warts an all book he glosses over any reference to personal life and the casual way a marriage breakup was over in a page or two was amusing. I hope age has mellowed him, but I doubt it.

12. My Pride of Lions Fran Cotton Finished: Jul 27 Amazon

    Pedestrian. The opening chapter being a dull round up of the RFU reaction to Rugby Uninon going professional. Everything got slightly better once that was off Fran's chest. Back to familiar sport book territory. - The game has changed - check - This happened, then this and we won/lost. - This is what's wrong with the game. - These people are great. - These people aren't. - Sport is great.

13. Life at number 10 Neil Jenkins Finished: Jul 18 Amazon

    Standard sports autobiography. Sort of interesting inside baseball nuggets, few scores settled, and a few 'what's wrong with the games'.

14. The Sound of Laughter Peter Kay Finished: Jul 10 Amazon

    Funny, as you'd expect. Little like a stand up routine in bits, and no major drama. Good toilet book.

15. Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman Finished: May 28 Amazon

    Great fun - made even better by Neil homself reading it.

16. The Battle of the Atlantic Johnathan Dimbleby Finished: Apr 18 Amazon

    Ideal history book for me, really engagingly written with enough detail to make it worth it but made easy to follow and put it all together. Very good.

17. The Antidote Oliver Burkemann Finished: Mar 14 Amazon

    Was interesting and turned up a ton of other things to read.

18. Managing the crowd : rethinking records management for the Web 2.0 world Steve Bailey Finished: Mar 4 Amazon

    Did a job, got me up to speed with a modern take on Records Management, which like many subjects has more interest tha you might first think.

19. Giles The collection 2018 Bill Turnbull Finished: Jan 4 Amazon

    Less interesting than I remembered from my youth. Nice backgrounds though.

20. I Believe in Miracles Daniel Taylor Finished: Jan 29 Amazon

    Fun purchase for a super easy read about the first football I really remembered. I was allowed to stay up late to watch the 1978 European Cup Final and the image of Trevor Francis tumbling onto the hammer circle after scoring the winner is indelible. Fun stories and footbal talk.

21. A Dark-Adapted Eye Barbara Vine Finished: Jan 29 Amazon

    Nice to try crime novel - will do more.

22. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race Reni Eddo-Lodge Finished: Jan 15 Amazon

    The first audio book I've listened to in thirty plus years. Glad I did. Super educational and sobering.

23. Girl In A Band Kim Gordon Finished: Jan 13

    Bit Name Droppy, but decent.

24. The Best of A. A. Gill A.A.Gill Finished: Jan 5 Amazon

    Outstanding. Very funny, which I expected, but also top notch observations and hugely moving writing across loads of subjects.