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Category: Reading

2023 – the year in books

Next in my reviews of the cultural year past is reading. It was, as ever, a diverse year, in which I invariably had three or four books on the go at the same time (smaller books to be carried with me, weightier ones to be consumed at home). Given the number of them, I amRead More

Luke McKernan December 22, 2023Comments (2)

2022 – the year in books

As 2022 winds its way to its ignominious close, it’s time to look back at some of the things that were good about the year, despite war, weather, viruses, the meteoric rise in the cost of living, and a revolving door of prime ministers. We’ll start off with books, which were the greatest solace. InRead More

Luke McKernan December 17, 2022December 21, 2022Comments (6)

2021 – the year in twelve (or so) books

Let’s move on to the books read in 2021. Of these there were plenty – too many to remember, let alone list. So, as in previous such lists, I am restricting myself to one book per month, even though some months were more full of riches than others, meaning some fine works had to beRead More

Luke McKernan December 24, 2021June 11, 2022Leave a comment

2020 – the year in twelve books

I read quite a few books in 2020, and finished most of them. As with last year, rather than try and survey them all (which would be too much) or even just the ones I thought were good (which would still be too much), I have selected twelve, one for each of the months inRead More

Luke McKernan December 17, 2020March 27, 2021Comments (2)

2019 – the year in twelve books

I read a lot of books in 2019. I bought more than I read, but those are almost separate pleasures, two different kinds of discovery. One is a quest, the other an exploration. I guess that the linked goal is a search for an ideal: the pristine copy, or one that has aged gently, tastefullyRead More

Luke McKernan December 23, 2019February 26, 2020Leave a comment

2018 – the year in books

Next in these reviews of the year is the year in books. I read a lot in 2018, and it was a vintage year: for books published in 2018, for those I finally caught up on, and (best of all) all those unexpected surprises from times past. I’ve put the highlights into nine categories, withRead More

Luke McKernan December 21, 2018December 10, 2019Comments (4)

War by other means

Once upon a time wars, like stories, had a beginning, a middle and an end. Two sides lined up over an issue, or set of issues – land, honour, race, faith – and fought. In fighting they abided by a common set of rules, or seemed to. One side won, and gained the objective. TheRead More

Luke McKernan February 24, 2018February 16, 2021Leave a comment

2017 – the year in books

I read many books in 2017; I drank many cups of coffee. There’s an argument for my reviewing the various coffee drinks I’ve had over the year, intertwined with the locations in which I enjoyed them (ah, the latte I had at that ice cream parlour in Helsinki back in May…), but on balance IRead More

Luke McKernan December 18, 2017December 10, 2019Leave a comment

2016 – a year’s reading

I read a good many books in 2016; I drank a good many cups of coffee while I was doing so. Sometimes other beverages, but mostly coffee. If you just want to see the books rather than read about them, you can go to my Flickr page, The book I’m reading the drink I’m drinking,Read More

Luke McKernan December 23, 2016December 10, 2019Comments (2)

A year in books

Next up in this series of reviews of 2015 and those of its cultural treasures that fell my way is reading. I’m always astonished by those sections in ‘quality’ newspapers in which the great, the good, and journalists tell you the best of what they have read during the year. They all seem to haveRead More

Luke McKernan December 22, 2015August 19, 2020Leave a comment
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My name is Luke McKernan. I am a film historian and former news curator.

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