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The latest Mark Bowles has reached the furthest corners of the earth…or New Zealand as we call it. Love the postcards Joseph Wright of Derby and the Jay in a vacuum. Stunning chiaroscuro. @galleybeggars.bsky.social

Good spotting!!

Hope that portal is a fantastic one for you!

Book no35 of 2026. Galatea by Madeline Miller. A 36 page short story about Galatea, the statue that came to life after its sculptor, Pygmalion, fell it love with her. She is a virtual prisoner, since every man that sees her falls in love with her. A love story poisoned by male jealousy. #booksky

Book no34 of 2026. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas. Written in 1963 this Norwegian tale of two schoolgirls is very unsettling. Brilliantly written, realistic and timeless, it captures a sudden friendship and the new girl’s subsequent disappearance and its impact on the small community. #booksky

Book no33 of 2026. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. New characters and a new setting for Strout. We watch Artie, a popular schoolteacher unravel in the face of revelations about his wife and as the Trump election looms. Great story telling and characterisation as always. #booksky

Book no32 of 2026. The Way to Colonos by Kay Cicellis. First published in 1961 but as fresh today as they were then. Three retelling of plays by Sophocles. The characters don’t always keep their original names. They retain the drama of the originals and retell in modern settings. #booksky

Farewell David Hockney - love those colours of the year…

Thanks John, I’m waiting for my copy of The End of Everything to reach me here at the end of the world in New Zealand. Even more impatient after your review!

Not exactly reading this; just marvelling at the pictures!

Book no31 of 2026. The old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin. Her forth novel (love them all) for the first time set in her native France. Two sisters return to their childhood home to clear their dead father’s possessions. Thoughtful and poetic, with the constriction of one character being mute. #booksky

A great selection of short stories.

Book no30 of 2026. Repetition by Vigdis Hjorth. A writer thinks back to herself at 16 and the deceit of her parents as she finds excuses to drink alcohol and meet boys. Yet again this family feels very like the author’s own and the controversy with her earlier book Will & Testament. #booksky

OK #booksky lots of books have piled up over the past few months while I’ve been busy with other projects. Thoughts on which I should read next?

May’s reading pile. Unusually weighted with non-fiction for me, but loving the classical themes. Two are hard emotional memoirs, made possible by brilliant writing (Erin Vincent & Siobhan Harvey). #booksky

This is the entire cover - the phone shape is rough - like the texture of stone.

Book no29 of 2026. Talking Classics by Mary Beard. A book length discussion of why classics matters, and why Beard, one of the UK’s leading authorities, has made it her life-time study. Love one observation- “it teaches you to read difficult things”. Very engaging. #booksky

Book no28 of 2026. 14 Ways of Looking by Erin Vincent. At the age of 14 Vincent lost both her parents in a car crash. This short book is a series of facts & literary coincidences about the number 14, the date, the page, etc. Interspersed with her own memories. Incredible. Honest and moving. #booksky

Book no27 of 2026. What we Remember, What we Forget by Siobhan Harvey. Not an easy read. Childhood cruelty is brilliantly handled, but the difficulty of raising her own neurodiverse child is even more confronting. Moving and compulsive non-fiction leaves you asking why this had to happen. #booksky

Book no26 of 2026. Transcription by Ben Lerner. A writer travels to his college town to interview his old mentor. He drops his phone in the sink & cannot record the meeting. This did not hit the spot for me, even if the cover is excellent. Too difficult to intuit the meaning or relevance. #booksky