Another month when I read a lot and didn’t do much reviewing. We also watched some good films and started watching season 3 of The Bear. Which continues to be both stressful and brilliant. Oh, and we watched all of Mr and Mrs Smith, created by and starring Donald Glover. It’s not as good as Atlanta but it is good – and much lighter fare.

Most days have been gorgeous so I’ve done a lot of sitting in the garden reading and throwing a ball for the dog. I’ve been on some bike rides, taken a couple of days off work to enjoy the summer, and treated myself to multiple book shop visits.

I attended a brilliant event at Bookhaus called Reading For Gaza. Palestinian-Italian author Sabrin Hasbun read an excerpt from her memoir about visiting Gaza. Noreen Masud read extracts from her book A Flat Place and explained why she has joined Book Workers for a Free Palestine. Nikesh Shukla introduced the work of a writer he is mentoring, Anam Raheem, who lived in Gaza for five years. She worked at Gaza Sky Geeks, a tech hub and community space, with Matt Davis who also spoke at Bookhaus. I found this event sad and hopeful, inspiring and beautiful. Matt runs a mutual aid fund for Gaza if you are looking for a specific place to donate money where it can truly help.

We visited the Forest of Dean to see my Dad and brother on Father’s Day, which was lovely. We had our first barbecue of the year and explored the woods in typical Gardner Family off-the-beaten-path style. The dog was red with Forest mud, as were our boots.

To end the month I went to London to see the incredible talent that is Janelle Monae perform at Brixton Academy. She was amazing, so full of energy and love. It was a perfect night and I was still buzzing as I walked through Hyde Park to get the train home the next day.

So that was June. And that was meant to be a relatively quiet month. July and August are looking busy. Summer, here we come!

Books read

The Cheffe: a Cook’s Novel by Marie Ndiaye
Translated from French by Jordan Stump
The story of a famous, celebrated chef, told from the perspective of her former kitchen assistant. This is a strange novel, told in abstract, looping prose in second person. The food sounds amazing; the chill, supportive kitchen idealistic. I enjoyed this but didn’t always know what was happening.

The Beauty of Falling: a Life in Pursuit of Gravity by Claudia de Rham
Physicist Claudia de Rham explains everything we know about gravity through her own personal and career history. From Newton and Einstein to her own theoretical research, she clearly explains some very complex concepts. I have reviewed this for Physics World so watch out for my more detailed thoughts over there soon.

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
This novel follows the members of two British Muslim families in turn as we follow a descent into fundamentalism. It is frightening to see how it could happen, completely believable. I liked most of the characters but this isn’t a hopeful book.

SS-GB by Len Deighton
Murder. Nazis. Spies. Nuclear physics. A secret plot to rescue an imprisoned king. This alternate history set in 1941 is fascinating and entertaining. The German invasion has succeeded and Britain has been occupied for six months. Scotland Yard detective Archer just wants to continue doing good police work but reporting to Nazi supervisors comes with layers of politics and ethical dilemmas. This is a pacy thriller that raises interesting facets of life under occupation.

Boy Friends by Michael Pedersen
When poet Pedersen’s best friend died suddenly, the grief was overwhelming. He began writing letters to his friend, to unravel his feelings. This led him to examine previous close friendships with men. His approach to friendship is open, honest and intense in ways I have only previously known people write about female friendship. (Indeed, I experienced a few of my own intense friendships in my teens.) And of course it makes sense that some men experience life this way too, but it is both refreshing and a little shocking somehow.

Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn
A Greek-Irish-British man who spent his early adulthood in the US isn’t the obvious person to collect and retell Japanese folk stories. But Hearn’s collections are considered classic in Japan as well as here in the UK. He did spend the second half of his life in Japan and had trained as a journalist. Some of these stories are from written collections, but most appear to have been relayed to him orally. All feature elements that are supernatural – mostly ghosts, sometimes demons.

The Emissary by Yoko Tawada
Translated from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani
Some Japanese dystopian sci-fi seemed like a good follow-up to Japanese ghost stories. On the outskirts of a near-abandoned Tokyo, Mumei lives with his great-grandfather Yoshiro. Following a combination of environmental disasters, children are born so weak many cannot walk or even stand. Yoshiro’s generation, live well in their 100s showing no sign of weakening or dying. In its attempt to survive Japan has cut itself off from the world and strict laws govern what may be said in classrooms, articles, art, even on the street. This novel concentrates on the relationships between a small group of people rather than the intriguing scientific premise.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y Davis
This collection of interview, speeches and essays by the wonderful scholar and activist was published in 2016. Much of it concentrates on Obama’s presidency – and why his election didn’t turn the US into a post-racist utopia. But where Davis truly excels is in explaining the importance of intersectionality. All struggles against oppression are connected. She explicitly links the situation in occupied Palestine with not only Apartheid South Africa but also the militarization of police forces and for-profit prisons. Her words are wrenching and inspiring.