I *have* decided to rip-off a bunch of other literary types and start a thread of every book I read this year. I'm 25 now and mostly enjoy eating veggie food and watching Midsomer Murders re-runs when tired - just clearing that up for anyone who still thinks I might be 'fun'.

Here's the first book; Tim Marshall's 'Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire'. The journo's account of his time in Serbia in '98-'99 during the Kosovo war. Shocking, full of Machiavellian back-room politics and sharp wit. Damning on various aspects of foreign policy, too.

Here's the second book I've finished in 2020. Matthew Collin is a superb writer; strikes the exact chord between beautiful prose and information. It was fun to read about Berlin and Detroit again but more fun read about dance music in the Black Sea and semi-defences of Skrillex.

I'm very aware, of course, that both the books I've read so far this have been by white men. That'll change with the next one.

3rd book of 2020 finished; Petina Gappah's 'An Elegy for Easterly'. An extraordinary collection of short stories that documents Zimbabwe post-independence and confronts the colonial shadow. Equally as funny as it is profound. 'My Sister-cousin Rambanai' is the 1.

Book 4 of 2020 done (took a break in another book to read this today). A lot of this is rly beautiful but having not read Larkin before is there an undercurrent of misogyny to a lot of this?

Book 5. Might be sacrilege to say this, actually didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. Just didn't have the flow or strength of characters of other Allende stuff, for me. But still loads of interesting context and at times, brilliantly human writing.

Book number 6. I continue to love David Mitchell, even though I don't agree with everything in this book. For the most part it's every bit as funny, sardonic and politically insightful as you'd hope. Pretty much a must read in these trying times.

Book 8. An incredible piece of work. Set in Syria in the early 80s, it's a tale of murder, extremism, religion, romance, femininity and family. Hard to sum up in a tweet how amazing it is, but I'm using it for a forthcoming essay. Also will review it fully on Goodreads.

Book 7 was 'Girl, Balancing' by Helen Dunmore. I did upload it but neglected to tag it in this thread. It's a lovely book; here's a full review I wrote for Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3263192348