Mad Mike's Writing blog, book of the year 2022

Welcome friends, book bloggers and avid readers alike, to my annual book of the year post. As usual, this post is not necessarily about books written or published this year, it’s about books that I have read this year, and with dozens to choose from it hasn't been easy whittling them down. I won’t bore you with a big long list of all my reads from 2022, for that you can look me up on Goodreads, so without further ado –

Kicking things off at number five is: A Slow Fire Burning

by PaulaHawkins (20/02/22 post). 'Who cares for labels when a book takes you through so much at such pace with characters you root for (and some you don’t), in such a great setting in the heart of London? I don’t and I suggest neither should you because whether it's Laura, Theo, Carla, little old Irene (remember Miss Marple, who fools everyone time and again into thinking she's a frail old lady sticking her nose in where it wasn’t wanted?), Angela, before she had her ‘fall’ or invisible Miriam on her nice tidy narrowboat, who is the murderer, you are going to love finding out.' I said back in February and it's stuck in my mind ever since.

In fourth place this year, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (24/04/2022 post). 'Hosseini's writing is brilliant throughout and has a way about it that elicits multiple emotions, sometimes even on a single page, and I praise him highly for that. The chapters that deal with the 'changing of the guard' shall we say, when Baba's influence and power is no more and he and Amir have to make for Pakistan, had my heart in my mouth, whereas the chapter where Hassan takes a beating and more, and Amir is too scared, to cowardly to intervene, (which comes back to haunt him, of course), made me both angry and sad and then there's the euphoria that Hassan and Amir feel when flying their kite and running it down, which I wish could be bottled.' I said back in April.

 

In bronze position then, Animal Farm by George Orwell. The writing here is simple but effective, not a word is wasted or unnecessary and so it is a short book, more novella than novel, so you’ll speed through it, but the power each of those words holds, the images they depict, the subtleties they portray, are superb. You envisage the farm with ease, the windmill as it is built and then destroyed, the animals and their traits: the cat sloping off, as any cat would, Boxer the Shire horse and Benjamin the donkey, working hard and doing virtually nothing in equal measure, the hens laying ever more eggs to just fatten up the pigs and Napoleon, their self-appointed leader, who surrounds himself with dogs and sows fear through misinformation - which is so close to reality around the world at the moment it’s scary - all feels so real. (21/01/23 post).

So, the runner up spot goes to, Spitfire: A Very British Love Story by John Nichol. This book is about so much more than just an aeroplane - albeit one of the most recognisable and well-regarded aeroplanes ever to have been built - it is about people. These who flew them, serviced them, designed and maintained them and it’s about tails of valour and heroism – not that those who risked their lives saw it that way - but above all else it's about those who lost their lives whilst defending freedom, and for that, this book is a truly excellent read and comes highly recommended. (18/02/23 post).

And the winner, my book of the year 2022 is: How (Not) To Be Strong by Alex Scott. (05/12/2022 post). 'Enjoying a book when the subject matter is so personal and to a large degree about abuse, is probably the wrong word to use but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the discovery, both mine and the author's as I got the profound sense that she discovered something about herself whilst writing this memoir and has found her way out of her darkness and is moving towards the light - at least I hope she is. 
So, a very good read in my opinion, very much a, konnichiwa rather than a, konnichi-nah (you had us laughing out loud with that one Alex), and comes highly recommended,' is what I told you all earlier this month, and it came as a big surprise to me that a memoir would ever interest me, let alone move me in the way that this one has. NB: All proceeds from this book are being donated to the domestic abuse charity, Refuge. refuge.org.uk

To finish, I would just like to wish you all a very happy New Year and hope you all find happiness, in whatever form that might take, in 2023. 

How (Not) To Be Strong, book review. (Alex Scott)

I've never read a biography/memoir before and truth be known, in spite of the many authors, actors, musicians and historical figures I admire, no-one in the public eye has ever really grabbed my attention before now, until . . .

The 2018 football world cup and, Alex Scott.

Now, those of you who know me will know that I have little interest in football at club level but when the Euros or the World Cup comes round, I'm there, cheering on the team, following their journey. So, there I am, like the rest of the country, watching the action, getting more and more invested as we progress and more and more intrigued by the new fresh-faced pundit.

I don't know that Alex Scott is the second most capped player in English footballing history, that she's an east end girl from Poplar, that she's won virtually every footballing trophy there is to win whilst playing for Arsenal and England (which in some peoples' eyes' still didn't qualify her to comment on 'men's' football by the way!!!), but for reasons I couldn't explain, I wanted to know, and there in was the issue.

Alex Scott was an enigma. Yes, she was on Instagram and Twitter, where I learnt what I could, she was on the television dancing - Beyoncé is now on several of my playlist because of her Paso-doble - but unlike so many others in the public eye, her private life was, well, private.

Wow, I thought, how the hell has someone in her position achieve that? And it was the mystery, her infectious smile, her 'Strictly journey' as she liked to call it (she's the first person I ever voted for on any television show by the way), that fuelled my desire to know more.

So, fast forward to 2022, and as the year progressed it started to become apparent what this book was going to be about and, domestic abuse, trolling, racism, sexism and spite make for a tough read but in spite of all the abuse the author suffered through the years my overarching take from this book was love and hope, and I couldn't help but think that the (Not) in the title was profoundly wrong. For if there's one thing this author has shown throughout her life, it is strength, resilience.

For such a personal book, I won't comment on the writing style other than to say it broadly reads chronologically and sped me through in a few days - I'm not a fast reader but as I delved deeper into the book, I continued to be both fascinated and horrified in equal measure - the taxi ride in Russia and the car crash are both eye openers I can tell you - and I found the book very insightful in more ways than one.

Enjoying a book when the subject matter is so personal and to a large degree about abuse, is probably the wrong word to use but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the discovery, both mine and the author's because, having listened to a few interview/podcasts about the book with the author, I got the profound sense that she discovered something about herself whilst writing this memoir and is finding her way out of her darkness and moving towards the light - at least I hope she is.

So, a very good read in my opinion, very much a, konnichiwa rather than a, konnichi-nah (you had us laughing out loud with that one Alex), and I look forward to seeing more or you now that the football World Cup has started.

NB: All proceeds from this book are being donated to the domestic abuse charity, Refuge. refuge.org.uk

Don't forget to search my blog for your favourite authors and books and if I haven't read them, message me with your recommendations.