in which I wrap up July

Things I have read

Apparently in July I decided to suddenly break up with The Chalet School, as I’ve not read any. Either you can have too much of a good thing, or Erica-Jane Standish is just that annoying.

I did polish off the second and third volumes of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy (A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light). I enjoyed them a lot - though the second one more than the third (which is mostly denouement — though good and fun denouement — tbh). By the end I was terribly fond of Kell and Rhy, but somewhat irritated with Lila.

I — obviously — got my hands on the new David Mitchell, Utopia Avenue, which was very very readable (when is David Mitchell NOT incredibly readable, he writes so well) but not spectacular. If you read Mitchell, you’ll know there’s a meta-universe, which I usually love. But in Utopia Avenue there’s either too much of it (just give me more of a wonderful, straightforward novel about a band) or not enough to it (really make the connections much more integral). I think, post-The Bone Clocks it no longer works to just have that universe pop in and out — certainly not to the extent that is the case here. That said, I loved spending time with Elf and Jasper especially, and thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent reading the book.

Then there was Aravind Adiga’s Selection Day, which I’ve wanted to read for ages because, hey, a novel about cricket in Mumbai. I found it hard to get lost in at first, but ended up absorbed. It’s a great story about the ambitions of parents and children and just really good writing about cricket (to get the joys and specificities of sports across in fiction is hard, ok).

And finally, I read Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age, which is now Booker long listed, wildly. I enjoyed reading it immensely (though Alix is The Worst, she is also someone I could totally imagine meeting) and thought it was smart and fun - but I’m not sure it will linger massively we me, which is something I expect from a Booker listee (let’s be honest, Hilary Mantel is going to win it again, isn’t she?)

In non-fiction I read Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, The Christian Imagination by Willie James Jennings, and Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England. The first is a really good introductory book on race and racism, and I really liked that it is UK specific, as so many of the reading recommendations of the past few months have been US-centric. I’ve been reading The Christian Imagination for about five years now, and it has slowly been changing my understanding and perceptions over that time, but it was really good to go back to the beginning and read it all through. I suspect both it and Ghost Ship will be constant presences over the next few years of studying and training.

Things I have watched

I’ve gone from missing the cinema to being very very chary about the idea of going back to the cinema too soon. So the more Tenet keeps getting pushed back the better for me.

I joined the Great Hamilton Watch on Disney Plus at the start of the month. I’m so glad to have been able to see it live in London, but it was a delight to see the original cast version, without finding either one ‘better’ than the other.

I’ve also really enjoyed cricket highlights being back on the BBC, omigosh. I would love love love if the BBC would bid for the full TV rights and put them on BBC4 during the day, so that I could actually watch a bit more cricket — one of the main reasons I’ve been following cricket less over the years is that watching any of it has got harder and harder: from highlights on channel four, to them being on five, at ever more awkward times on channels with ever worse digital re-watch options. I’ve kept on listening to Test Match Special, and then gone to the occasional match at the Oval, but not been able to recognise anyone who wasn’t playing for England around a decade ago. Thanks for investing in the highlights, BBC.

A recommendation of some kind

Have another podcast recommendation: Tailenders!

I’ve listened to it occasionally since the fairly early days of it, but never became a regular for any one of a number of reasons (not limited to: not being massively engaged in following cricket in the past few years beyond dipping in and out of the occasional test series; and not quite being in the mood for another boys-with-banter podcast, even one featuring Jimmy Anderson). However, for some reason I listened to an episode during lockdown in London — possibly during the replay of last year’s Headingley test — and it turned out to be exactly the mood I needed, so I carried on listening and then, in mid-July, went back to the beginning and started over. It’s delightfully entertaining and perfectly sincere but never over-earnest about its love for cricket.

In the pile for August

I’ve got a large pile of books to be read. I’m supposed to be reading the ones that I think I might not want to keep, but at the same time, they don’t seem to be the ones I want to be reading right now. I’ve got To the Lighthouse from the library, the result of seeing the flipping lighthouse every day, and I’ve just got hold of Rodham, by Curtis Sittenfeld, because I loved American Wife, so I’ll probably read those, and then just see what I’m feeling like.

A photo from the last month

I’ve been enjoying the chance to go to bits of Cornwall I’ve not been to for ages. Can’t remember the last time I went up St Agnes Head — it’s beautiful.