What do you think?
Rate this book
What to read next. How to make books part of your life.
When was the last time you got lost in a really good book?
From Shakespeare to JK Rowling, Marcel Proust to Zora Neale Hurston, What to read next is Stig Abell’s erudite and funny guide to help you read more, discover new books to love, and remember the ones that you already do.
From Shakespeare to JK Rowling, Marcel Proust to Zora Neale Hurston, What to read next is Stig Abell’s erudite and funny guide to help you read more, discover new books to love, and remember the ones that you already do.
322 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
36 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Stig Abell
11 books163 followersStephen "Stig" Paul Abell is an English journalist, newspaper editor and radio presenter. He currently co-presents the Monday to Thursday breakfast show on Times Radio with Aasmah Mir.
Abell was from 2016 to 2020 editor of The Times Literary Supplement and from 2013 to 2016 managing editor of The Sun. He was formerly a fiction reviewer at The Spectator and reviewer at Telegraph Media Group as well as The Times Literary Supplement. He was also a presenter on LBC Radio.
Abell educated at Loughborough Grammar School, and went on to graduate with a double first in English from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
In September 2001, Abell joined the Press Complaints Commission as a complaints officer; he completed other roles at the PCC including press officer, assistant director and deputy director before being appointed Director of the PCC on 19 December 2010. In August 2013, Abell joined The Sun as managing editor, his role until the end of April 2016.
In March 2014, Abell started co-presenting a show on LBC Radio alongside Sky News television presenter Kay Burley from 8am to 11am on Sundays. Burley was the main presenter while Abell reviewed the papers and added political comment.
From August 2014, the show was co-presented by Abell and LBC's Petrie Hosken. In January 2015, he was given his own show from 8 am to 10 am on Sundays. From April 2016, Abell moved to the afternoon slot on Sundays of 3 pm to 6 pm.
Abell has been heavily criticized for publishing an article in 2015 by Katie Hopkins. The article argued for "gunships sending these boats back to their own country", and described migrants as "like cockroaches". It concluded that Britain should "force migrants back to their shores and burn the boats".
In May 2016, Abell became the editor of The Times Literary Supplement, succeeding Sir Peter Stothard, who had edited the newspaper for the previous 14 years. He held the post until June 2020, when he was succeeded by Martin Ivens.
Abell was from 2016 to 2020 editor of The Times Literary Supplement and from 2013 to 2016 managing editor of The Sun. He was formerly a fiction reviewer at The Spectator and reviewer at Telegraph Media Group as well as The Times Literary Supplement. He was also a presenter on LBC Radio.
Abell educated at Loughborough Grammar School, and went on to graduate with a double first in English from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
In September 2001, Abell joined the Press Complaints Commission as a complaints officer; he completed other roles at the PCC including press officer, assistant director and deputy director before being appointed Director of the PCC on 19 December 2010. In August 2013, Abell joined The Sun as managing editor, his role until the end of April 2016.
In March 2014, Abell started co-presenting a show on LBC Radio alongside Sky News television presenter Kay Burley from 8am to 11am on Sundays. Burley was the main presenter while Abell reviewed the papers and added political comment.
From August 2014, the show was co-presented by Abell and LBC's Petrie Hosken. In January 2015, he was given his own show from 8 am to 10 am on Sundays. From April 2016, Abell moved to the afternoon slot on Sundays of 3 pm to 6 pm.
Abell has been heavily criticized for publishing an article in 2015 by Katie Hopkins. The article argued for "gunships sending these boats back to their own country", and described migrants as "like cockroaches". It concluded that Britain should "force migrants back to their shores and burn the boats".
In May 2016, Abell became the editor of The Times Literary Supplement, succeeding Sir Peter Stothard, who had edited the newspaper for the previous 14 years. He held the post until June 2020, when he was succeeded by Martin Ivens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
skimmed
January 30, 2021I find such projects bemusing. “You can get through an awful lot of books if you spend almost an hour every day of the working week doing little else,” he writes in the preface. Fifty minutes is the average commute time in the UK or USA, he discovers, so that’s what he aims for. (Gretchen Rubin is making it even easier for people by suggesting just 21 minutes per day in 2021.) I know I’m an outlier in that I read for work as well as for pleasure, writing both paid book reviews and blog posts, so I constantly have 20-30 books on the go and read for anywhere up to six hours a day, so I have to remember that other people have work and family commitments, plus other duties and hobbies, and not just be mean and go “Aww, cute” to resolutions to read for 20-50 minutes a day. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all, and small changes are easier to implement than radical ones. So putting down the smartphone (I don’t own one, a major reason I can read more) and picking up a book for a set amount of time a day is a good way to go.
Anyway, while I always say that I love books about books, and bibliomemoirs in particular, this reminded me that, actually, reading about what other people are reading can be really boring. Even though the author has a monthly theme, his picks are arbitrary, and either you’ve already read them so you aren’t too interested in what he has to say, or you haven’t so it doesn’t feel relevant to you. It may just be a matter of not connecting with an author’s voice or style, though. I barely skimmed the remainder, so it would be unfair to rate. Similar approach to The Year of Reading Dangerously, which was a little more charming.
Favorite lines my eyes alighted on:
“Reading is not passive; it is a communing of a remote mind with your own ... Reading is distraction and action at once.”
“literary fiction denotes a novel for which the advance of the plot is not the primary purpose.”
“I am being demoralised every day by The Unconsoled, its pitch-perfect, repetitive, dreamy monotone, its cleverly crafted weirdness, its relentless neatness. ... That is the problem[,] it seems to me[,] with self-consciously ‘literary’ fiction: it values difficulty as a quality, where it is really a disadvantage. What I call the ‘eat your vegetables’ approach to writing, publishing and criticism: yes, the prose is hard to get through, but you’ll feel the benefits later. Fiction should never be merely fibrous. Greatness, it seems to me, is always readily accessible to the mind.”
(last line) “There will always be another book to read, or guiltily to reread. And that is a joy for all of us.”
Anyway, while I always say that I love books about books, and bibliomemoirs in particular, this reminded me that, actually, reading about what other people are reading can be really boring. Even though the author has a monthly theme, his picks are arbitrary, and either you’ve already read them so you aren’t too interested in what he has to say, or you haven’t so it doesn’t feel relevant to you. It may just be a matter of not connecting with an author’s voice or style, though. I barely skimmed the remainder, so it would be unfair to rate. Similar approach to The Year of Reading Dangerously, which was a little more charming.
Favorite lines my eyes alighted on:
“Reading is not passive; it is a communing of a remote mind with your own ... Reading is distraction and action at once.”
“literary fiction denotes a novel for which the advance of the plot is not the primary purpose.”
“I am being demoralised every day by The Unconsoled, its pitch-perfect, repetitive, dreamy monotone, its cleverly crafted weirdness, its relentless neatness. ... That is the problem[,] it seems to me[,] with self-consciously ‘literary’ fiction: it values difficulty as a quality, where it is really a disadvantage. What I call the ‘eat your vegetables’ approach to writing, publishing and criticism: yes, the prose is hard to get through, but you’ll feel the benefits later. Fiction should never be merely fibrous. Greatness, it seems to me, is always readily accessible to the mind.”
(last line) “There will always be another book to read, or guiltily to reread. And that is a joy for all of us.”
January 8, 2021
Stig Abell is a journalist, radio presenter and Editor of the Times Literary Supplement. With his life so steeped in writing, and, more importantly, reading, he is the perfect companion on this journey. Or perhaps that is incorrect, as we, the reader, accompany him on his year of reading.
It is 2019 and a year of political turmoil. Obviously, Abell had no idea how much worse 2020 would be, but, having decided to use his commuting time exploring literature, he spends the year reading his way through various different books and musing on them, to our enjoyment.
At the beginning of the year, I always like to read a book memoir and this is a really enjoyable journey. Months are split into different themes – such as crime novels, plays not by Shakespeare, comic fiction, poetry and literary fiction. If you are looking for reading suggestions, you will be sure to find some among these pages, from books as varied as “Offshore,” by Penelope Fitzgerald, “A Question of Upbringing,” and “A Buyer’s Market,” by Anthony Powell, classics such as “Moby Dick,” Proust, Nancy Mitford and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
In the same way that so many books you read lead you on to others, the books that Abell reads over the year leads him to muse about the author’s that wrote them, stories he has heard, reviews, recommendations and facts. I was sad he didn’t love Mitford as much as I do and I don’t think he convinced me to read, “A Confederacy of Dunces,” a novel I seem to shy away from. However, there is much to enjoy and titles you will want to try. As well as his never-ending literary knowledge, we also get to hear of Stig Abell’s work, his family and the interviews he conducts.
I have to say that there are few fellow travellers who could be so entertaining, informative and enthusiastic. A book memoir that I am sure to read again and will, undoubtedly, enjoy as much as I loved it this time round. I will be looking for more books by Abell and recommend this highly.
It is 2019 and a year of political turmoil. Obviously, Abell had no idea how much worse 2020 would be, but, having decided to use his commuting time exploring literature, he spends the year reading his way through various different books and musing on them, to our enjoyment.
At the beginning of the year, I always like to read a book memoir and this is a really enjoyable journey. Months are split into different themes – such as crime novels, plays not by Shakespeare, comic fiction, poetry and literary fiction. If you are looking for reading suggestions, you will be sure to find some among these pages, from books as varied as “Offshore,” by Penelope Fitzgerald, “A Question of Upbringing,” and “A Buyer’s Market,” by Anthony Powell, classics such as “Moby Dick,” Proust, Nancy Mitford and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
In the same way that so many books you read lead you on to others, the books that Abell reads over the year leads him to muse about the author’s that wrote them, stories he has heard, reviews, recommendations and facts. I was sad he didn’t love Mitford as much as I do and I don’t think he convinced me to read, “A Confederacy of Dunces,” a novel I seem to shy away from. However, there is much to enjoy and titles you will want to try. As well as his never-ending literary knowledge, we also get to hear of Stig Abell’s work, his family and the interviews he conducts.
I have to say that there are few fellow travellers who could be so entertaining, informative and enthusiastic. A book memoir that I am sure to read again and will, undoubtedly, enjoy as much as I loved it this time round. I will be looking for more books by Abell and recommend this highly.
January 11, 2023
Books are part of my life and I have plenty to ‘read next’, but a book about books is always welcomed here!
Stig Abell (who at the time of writing this book was editor of The Times Literary Supplement) has decided to read on his daily commute only books that fit a specific theme per month for a year. He then wrote his thoughts as he went along in his reading. This is his diary on this experiment. Most of his "diary entries" will also include some random bookish facts either related to his work, the book/author or what was happening at the time of his writing.
I've enjoyed this one as my "stand by" book to read whenever I was in between books or whenever I felt like reading something different. However, I didn't always agree with Stig's comments on the books he read (eg, The Three Musketeers was a huge disappointment for me).
This one made me think how randomly I read. I like to plan (I even have a folder for the books I wish to read in 2023, but it already has more than 50! :/), but could never be this disciplined and read only on a specific theme per month. Nevertheless, I might try to pick a month and try only in Portuguese (or in Spanish!)
And I have now officially found a new type of books that I want to read more of: "non fiction books about books"!
Stig Abell (who at the time of writing this book was editor of The Times Literary Supplement) has decided to read on his daily commute only books that fit a specific theme per month for a year. He then wrote his thoughts as he went along in his reading. This is his diary on this experiment. Most of his "diary entries" will also include some random bookish facts either related to his work, the book/author or what was happening at the time of his writing.
I've enjoyed this one as my "stand by" book to read whenever I was in between books or whenever I felt like reading something different. However, I didn't always agree with Stig's comments on the books he read (eg, The Three Musketeers was a huge disappointment for me).
This one made me think how randomly I read. I like to plan (I even have a folder for the books I wish to read in 2023, but it already has more than 50! :/), but could never be this disciplined and read only on a specific theme per month. Nevertheless, I might try to pick a month and try only in Portuguese (or in Spanish!)
And I have now officially found a new type of books that I want to read more of: "non fiction books about books"!
January 12, 2021
No! No! No! You've learned nothing!
November 9, 2021
Lucky I was feeling generous. For most of the book I was anticipating giving it 1*. A couple of interesting pages rescued it.
September 24, 2024
My rating for this book is closer to a 3.5 but I think I will round down.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I really like books that deal with people discussing the books they are reading and their reading habits. Abell does this well, often times writing criticism as he breaks down the writing style and technique of the author. I found this interesting but I wanted him to stick more to a diary format in which he discusses more of his feelings and thoughts about his reading process. You get the impression that Abell is relying on books he has read before (which isn't bad he is able to speak with authority) but if he is, why does he decide to pick them up again? For example at one point he spends a month reading the sonnets and then several plays of Shakespeare's. One of the plays he reads is 'Hamlet'. If he has read 'Hamlet' so often, why has he read it again? Is it one of his favorites? But I would also just be curious about why he picked up certain authors. During one month he decides to read English classics and reads two Anthony Powell books. Now I know I'm an American, but I worked in the rare book department of a bookstore and am curious, is Powell someone people read a lot? His books often sat on the shelf with no one buying them. Again that sort of deeper exploration is the sort of thing I would have found fascinating.
This book was informative. A lot of the titles were classics and I would have read them in school. It made me aware of some blind spots and made me reconsider trying certain genres (I'm not much of a poetry reader, but his explanations of William Blake makes me want to try again). I'm thinking maybe I'll pick something from his list as my next read.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I really like books that deal with people discussing the books they are reading and their reading habits. Abell does this well, often times writing criticism as he breaks down the writing style and technique of the author. I found this interesting but I wanted him to stick more to a diary format in which he discusses more of his feelings and thoughts about his reading process. You get the impression that Abell is relying on books he has read before (which isn't bad he is able to speak with authority) but if he is, why does he decide to pick them up again? For example at one point he spends a month reading the sonnets and then several plays of Shakespeare's. One of the plays he reads is 'Hamlet'. If he has read 'Hamlet' so often, why has he read it again? Is it one of his favorites? But I would also just be curious about why he picked up certain authors. During one month he decides to read English classics and reads two Anthony Powell books. Now I know I'm an American, but I worked in the rare book department of a bookstore and am curious, is Powell someone people read a lot? His books often sat on the shelf with no one buying them. Again that sort of deeper exploration is the sort of thing I would have found fascinating.
This book was informative. A lot of the titles were classics and I would have read them in school. It made me aware of some blind spots and made me reconsider trying certain genres (I'm not much of a poetry reader, but his explanations of William Blake makes me want to try again). I'm thinking maybe I'll pick something from his list as my next read.
February 10, 2021
I was disappointed.
Stig Abell was the editor of the Times Literary Supplement when he wrote this book diary. The gimmick is that he will report on his daily reading on the train as he commutes from home to London. He picks a theme for each month's reading, for example, April-American Classics or September-Poetry. Each month gets 20 or 30 pages of diary entries. He weaves in comments on his life, his job, the world news, literary talk and train talk.
It failed my two tests for this kind of what-I-have-been-reading or what-I-enjoy -reading book. He did not convince me to read any book I had not read before and he did not convince me to re-read any book I had read.
So much of this type of thing is tone. I can't put my finger exactly on it, but when I read Abell he does not get me excited about what he is excited about.
It is not that I disagree with him. Disagreement can be fun. I agree with him that Melville deserves his reputation and that "Waiting For Godot" is a rewarding play to read. We both adore Wodehouse. We both think that the Harry Potter books are OK ,but no more than that.
He doesn't convince me that I should finish the last 300 pages of Johnathan Franzen's "The Corrections".
He sprinkles in a good amount of book world gossip and discussion.
I suspect that we were just not meant to get along or I was in the wrong mood, because I cannot give a clear explanation for my grouchy response to this well intentioned book.
Stig Abell was the editor of the Times Literary Supplement when he wrote this book diary. The gimmick is that he will report on his daily reading on the train as he commutes from home to London. He picks a theme for each month's reading, for example, April-American Classics or September-Poetry. Each month gets 20 or 30 pages of diary entries. He weaves in comments on his life, his job, the world news, literary talk and train talk.
It failed my two tests for this kind of what-I-have-been-reading or what-I-enjoy -reading book. He did not convince me to read any book I had not read before and he did not convince me to re-read any book I had read.
So much of this type of thing is tone. I can't put my finger exactly on it, but when I read Abell he does not get me excited about what he is excited about.
It is not that I disagree with him. Disagreement can be fun. I agree with him that Melville deserves his reputation and that "Waiting For Godot" is a rewarding play to read. We both adore Wodehouse. We both think that the Harry Potter books are OK ,but no more than that.
He doesn't convince me that I should finish the last 300 pages of Johnathan Franzen's "The Corrections".
He sprinkles in a good amount of book world gossip and discussion.
I suspect that we were just not meant to get along or I was in the wrong mood, because I cannot give a clear explanation for my grouchy response to this well intentioned book.
January 14, 2021
Not a fast read due to many pauses for thought. I will now go back to Byron. Some excellent bits on why reading is good for people.
February 6, 2021
I really enjoy books about books, especially ones that send you off with lots suggestions like this one. There were one or two places where I laughed out loud as well which is a rare thing for me.
April 16, 2023
A average read.
I skipped months when he started on Shakespeare, and only read the bits on books I had already read myself. I found all the footnotes very irritating and distracting too, though they could be interesting, but they just stopped the flow of the words. He did have some good ideas E.g. should you separate the artist’s behaviour from his / her art, examples given include Michael Jackson and anti-Semitic Ezra Pound?
I skipped months when he started on Shakespeare, and only read the bits on books I had already read myself. I found all the footnotes very irritating and distracting too, though they could be interesting, but they just stopped the flow of the words. He did have some good ideas E.g. should you separate the artist’s behaviour from his / her art, examples given include Michael Jackson and anti-Semitic Ezra Pound?
October 19, 2022
What to read next is a journey into the amazing universe of books and the worlds’ created by their authors told in the form of a commuters’ reading diary by radio journalist & former Times Literary Supplement editor Stig Abel, who divides his reading choices over the 4 seasons of the year with a few themed selections for each month. Thus January kicks off the year with crime, April is American classics, May historical novels and so on. Each month is not though restricted to the headline reading selections, as he gets delightfully sidetracked so that a whole range of related reads and subjects are discussed. On the journey we encounter literary greats as diverse as Daphne du Maurier, Shakespeare, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, Marcel Proust, Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron, Kauzo Ishiguro, Yuval Harari, JK Rowling and Alexandre Dumas.
This is a celebration of reading as escapism, inspiration, solace, distraction; something that shapes our lives and forms our earliest memories. Reading is one of the most profound joys we have as human beings, and storytelling the great cognitive achievement of humanity. A house empty of books is a house empty of ideas and warmth; the avid reader and book collector will recognize their home and feel comforted and cozy in his description of a room crammed with books, both neatly shelved and then spilling into tottering piles.
Abell ponders weighty subjects like the meaning of reading in the internet and social media age with its decline of concentration span and need for instant gratification replacing the steady accumulation of knowledge and awareness. He also hints, but doesn’t delve deep, on the risk to impartiality of current and future writing as well as revisionist reflections on the classics of another era from the current ‘cancel culture’ we suffer from with its hyper-sensitivity, wokeness and culture of taking offense at everything.
Abell’s style is witty, wry, succinct, learned, literary and punchy. He is a thinking man’s Bill Bryson, but somehow drifts into ultra- highbrow intellectual snob territory, condescending towards or rubblshing certain genres or authors. But, hey, what else is to be expected from a chap who reads 17th century poetry on his daily commute to host his own radio station. If Bill Bryson would be a restaurant experience he would be a lively bistro to Abell’s Michelin starred fine dining experience where the food is to be savored and digested slowly as its flavors, texture, subtleties and delicacy are absorbed. What is important here is his unmistaken passion for reading and books; there will be at least one recommendation in these pages for every reader regardless of intellectual span or taste.
This is a celebration of reading as escapism, inspiration, solace, distraction; something that shapes our lives and forms our earliest memories. Reading is one of the most profound joys we have as human beings, and storytelling the great cognitive achievement of humanity. A house empty of books is a house empty of ideas and warmth; the avid reader and book collector will recognize their home and feel comforted and cozy in his description of a room crammed with books, both neatly shelved and then spilling into tottering piles.
Abell ponders weighty subjects like the meaning of reading in the internet and social media age with its decline of concentration span and need for instant gratification replacing the steady accumulation of knowledge and awareness. He also hints, but doesn’t delve deep, on the risk to impartiality of current and future writing as well as revisionist reflections on the classics of another era from the current ‘cancel culture’ we suffer from with its hyper-sensitivity, wokeness and culture of taking offense at everything.
Abell’s style is witty, wry, succinct, learned, literary and punchy. He is a thinking man’s Bill Bryson, but somehow drifts into ultra- highbrow intellectual snob territory, condescending towards or rubblshing certain genres or authors. But, hey, what else is to be expected from a chap who reads 17th century poetry on his daily commute to host his own radio station. If Bill Bryson would be a restaurant experience he would be a lively bistro to Abell’s Michelin starred fine dining experience where the food is to be savored and digested slowly as its flavors, texture, subtleties and delicacy are absorbed. What is important here is his unmistaken passion for reading and books; there will be at least one recommendation in these pages for every reader regardless of intellectual span or taste.
July 25, 2021
Stig Abell has an impressive literary background. While he was editor of the Times Literary Supplement he commuted to work by train and decided to use this time to read a succession of books across different genres. Each month for a year, he picked a topic and read books that fitted into that category. He then wrote down what he liked about them, how they compared to similar books of the time, how they made him feel, their impact on his life and their impact on our culture. These observations were supplemented by factual information about the authors of the books and any other pieces of information which he thought were either relevant or interesting. He added comments about his own life, family and job as well as gossip from the literary world. And so “Things I learned on the 6:28” was born.
My relationship with this book was a bit like a rollercoaster ride. When I first read about it I was very excited. Even more so when I was sent Book Club copies for the group by the publisher. However, 20 pages in and I was very disappointed. Convinced that I would not make it to the end, I started my review (the gist of this is given towards the end).
But I persevered and I am very glad that I did. It didn’t turn into the best book I have ever read, but I did enjoy it. There were still some rollercoaster moments. Things definitely took a turn for the worse when we reached Shakespearean Sonnets in March. Inevitable I suppose as I’m ashamed to say that I am not a great Shakespeare fan and the appeal of the sonnets is completely beyond me - I understood very little and cared even less. I expected Greek Tragedies to be another dip in proceedings, the very title being a prophetic omen but, as it transpired, this wasn’t too bad. In fact, on the whole it was a really good book.
As I proceeded I began to feel some of the excitement that I had anticipated. There is some wry humour interjected into the writing, and there are many personal anecdotes from the author about his work and his family. During these interludes the writing style is very engaging, and made me feel as though I was in the room with the author, having a personal one-on-one conversation. And then of course there is an in-depth discussion of some classic books from a very knowledgeable individual, interspersed with many interesting facts about both the books and their authors.
Book lists were provided at the end of each month’s offering, containing potential reading material for the particular theme under consideration and I really liked these, if only to see how many, if any, I had actually read.
As you have probably gathered, there were some downsides from my point of view. This was the review I started after reading 20 pages of the book:-
“I loved the idea of this book and expected an enjoyable romp through literary fiction, complete with humorous observations, interesting facts (hitherto unknown – to me anyway) and useful recommendations. Above all I wanted to be inspired. What I actually got was a long, and at times dull, monologue on the various books the author had selected to read for the project in hand. The writing is fairly dry, fairly boring and full of footnotes which I found very irritating and distracting.”
However, having persevered, although there were still some fairly boring bits, still some fairly dry bits and the footnotes became no less irritating or distracting, I did enjoy it. It is definitely hard work and not a quick, easy read but it was worth it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books and enjoys a challenging, but informative read. As long as you don’t expect a light-hearted romp, you will be glad you read it.
My relationship with this book was a bit like a rollercoaster ride. When I first read about it I was very excited. Even more so when I was sent Book Club copies for the group by the publisher. However, 20 pages in and I was very disappointed. Convinced that I would not make it to the end, I started my review (the gist of this is given towards the end).
But I persevered and I am very glad that I did. It didn’t turn into the best book I have ever read, but I did enjoy it. There were still some rollercoaster moments. Things definitely took a turn for the worse when we reached Shakespearean Sonnets in March. Inevitable I suppose as I’m ashamed to say that I am not a great Shakespeare fan and the appeal of the sonnets is completely beyond me - I understood very little and cared even less. I expected Greek Tragedies to be another dip in proceedings, the very title being a prophetic omen but, as it transpired, this wasn’t too bad. In fact, on the whole it was a really good book.
As I proceeded I began to feel some of the excitement that I had anticipated. There is some wry humour interjected into the writing, and there are many personal anecdotes from the author about his work and his family. During these interludes the writing style is very engaging, and made me feel as though I was in the room with the author, having a personal one-on-one conversation. And then of course there is an in-depth discussion of some classic books from a very knowledgeable individual, interspersed with many interesting facts about both the books and their authors.
Book lists were provided at the end of each month’s offering, containing potential reading material for the particular theme under consideration and I really liked these, if only to see how many, if any, I had actually read.
As you have probably gathered, there were some downsides from my point of view. This was the review I started after reading 20 pages of the book:-
“I loved the idea of this book and expected an enjoyable romp through literary fiction, complete with humorous observations, interesting facts (hitherto unknown – to me anyway) and useful recommendations. Above all I wanted to be inspired. What I actually got was a long, and at times dull, monologue on the various books the author had selected to read for the project in hand. The writing is fairly dry, fairly boring and full of footnotes which I found very irritating and distracting.”
However, having persevered, although there were still some fairly boring bits, still some fairly dry bits and the footnotes became no less irritating or distracting, I did enjoy it. It is definitely hard work and not a quick, easy read but it was worth it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books and enjoys a challenging, but informative read. As long as you don’t expect a light-hearted romp, you will be glad you read it.
June 29, 2021
Another book about books, as I really enjoy seeing what others read and recommend, always happy to add another tome to my list of To Be Read.
This particular book also has the novelty of recording the thoughts and imaginings of the author (editor of the Times Literary Supplement at the time) as he reads on his daily commute (in 2019) totalling about an hour per day. This approach resonates with me, as I commuted by underground and train in the first three years and last year of my working life.
So, I enjoyed this book, especially the anecdotes and asides, but the analyses of particular works (novels, plays and poetry all read during the year) were, in my opinion, only mediocre, usually not matching the wit and learning displayed in what one would have thought of as the supporting structure of the book.
It was disappointing that Abell was not more enthusiastic about books read, such as The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox and Romola by George Eliot, although I am encouraged to get around to reading The Corrections, which has been sitting on my bookshelves for more than a decade. Also, having discovered the wonders of Penelope Fitzgerald’s books, I wolfed them all down too quickly, and Abell’s comments make me long for a reread.
The lists of books at the end of each chapter were somewhat predictable, and as they were in chronological order and as otherwise without comment, rather arid and uninspiring. However, I had read a reasonable number of the books listed, so have comfort in finding that Abell has similar reading tastes, but I don’t feel challenged by his recommendations. As an older reader, this would be my criticism of this delightful and interesting book, it didn’t challenge my reading; it played safe.
If you enjoy books about books then you will probably enjoy this one, but I would recommend that you first try A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel (erudite , but wonderful style), Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill and I would also recommend The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life by Andy Miller. Also bear in mind that the author is a British, forty-ish, professional male reading safe “classics”, however classics are defined and there was nothing that surprised me by its inclusion.
An extract, which appeals to me:
Without wishing to overstate it, reading for me is one of the central facets of existence. I cannot spend a day without a book. I have – in common with everybody – regular moments of mental unrest, roiling disquiet, uncertainty and anxiety. I manage them with a sedative, an analgesic: the escape into worlds created by other people. The invention of the novel, it seems to me, is one of the true triumphs of human endeavour. It codifies something magnificent within all of us: the act of empathy. When we read, we forge a connection with an author, and often then a common culture or tradition that is greater than us. Reading is an act of enlarging, of expansion. It makes our ‘I’ bigger than just ourselves; it stretches our sense of identity and experience.
Gripe about the Kindle version that I read is that the links to the footnotes don’t work.
This particular book also has the novelty of recording the thoughts and imaginings of the author (editor of the Times Literary Supplement at the time) as he reads on his daily commute (in 2019) totalling about an hour per day. This approach resonates with me, as I commuted by underground and train in the first three years and last year of my working life.
So, I enjoyed this book, especially the anecdotes and asides, but the analyses of particular works (novels, plays and poetry all read during the year) were, in my opinion, only mediocre, usually not matching the wit and learning displayed in what one would have thought of as the supporting structure of the book.
It was disappointing that Abell was not more enthusiastic about books read, such as The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox and Romola by George Eliot, although I am encouraged to get around to reading The Corrections, which has been sitting on my bookshelves for more than a decade. Also, having discovered the wonders of Penelope Fitzgerald’s books, I wolfed them all down too quickly, and Abell’s comments make me long for a reread.
The lists of books at the end of each chapter were somewhat predictable, and as they were in chronological order and as otherwise without comment, rather arid and uninspiring. However, I had read a reasonable number of the books listed, so have comfort in finding that Abell has similar reading tastes, but I don’t feel challenged by his recommendations. As an older reader, this would be my criticism of this delightful and interesting book, it didn’t challenge my reading; it played safe.
If you enjoy books about books then you will probably enjoy this one, but I would recommend that you first try A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel (erudite , but wonderful style), Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill and I would also recommend The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life by Andy Miller. Also bear in mind that the author is a British, forty-ish, professional male reading safe “classics”, however classics are defined and there was nothing that surprised me by its inclusion.
An extract, which appeals to me:
Without wishing to overstate it, reading for me is one of the central facets of existence. I cannot spend a day without a book. I have – in common with everybody – regular moments of mental unrest, roiling disquiet, uncertainty and anxiety. I manage them with a sedative, an analgesic: the escape into worlds created by other people. The invention of the novel, it seems to me, is one of the true triumphs of human endeavour. It codifies something magnificent within all of us: the act of empathy. When we read, we forge a connection with an author, and often then a common culture or tradition that is greater than us. Reading is an act of enlarging, of expansion. It makes our ‘I’ bigger than just ourselves; it stretches our sense of identity and experience.
Gripe about the Kindle version that I read is that the links to the footnotes don’t work.
November 22, 2020
This is a brilliant, beautiful, and hilarious work about books, authors, writing, and most importantly the experience and joy of reading. Stig Abell describes his year-long project of reading every day on his 50-minute commute to work. Every month is dedicated to a specific genre/group of books. Each book is introduced and put in the context of its time. There are also lots of little anecdotes and fun facts from the literary world, as well as excellent commentary on various cultural and political issues of today.
I am a dedicated bookworm and have read many of the books Abell discusses or mentions - I loved hearing his observations and conclusions and comparing them with my own. Even better though, the author talks about so many books that I haven't read and now cannot wait to do so.
My favourite bits were the stories from Abell's family and personal life: listening to what he calls "old rock" with his dad while they did homework and worked respectively, boring his children with etymological fun facts (which I found fascinating), admitting that he doesn't have any friends because he only has time for his job and his family, and the list goes on.
Abell reminded me of my own beloved family memories that I have not remembered way too long thanks to the busyness of daily life. (Memories such as drawing and listening to Eagles together with my dad while he was working in his studio, or reading curled up in my favourite armchair, my mum next to me in her favourite spot with her own book, the two of us reading in silence together for hours, just taking turns to make more tea, and then talking about what each of us read and what we thought about it.)
This book made me feel happy and nostalgic since it reminded me of all the happy reading memories and provided me with a plethora of books I cannot wait to read. This book also made me smile, laugh, and roar with laughter. (I will never read Henry James again without grinning internally. The bit about Rumi made me laugh so much my husband peered curiously at my phone to see what I was listening to.) I've learnt so much about books, authors, and reading itself from this book.
I usually prefer reading books to listening to audiobooks, but I loved the author's reading of his text - it added authenticity and made the quips and anecdotes even funnier and the family stories and serious bits even more moving.
Overall, an excellent, enlightening, and heart-warming piece of writing that any bookworm will enjoy.
Thank you, Mr Abell. I cannot wait to read more of your work.
I am a dedicated bookworm and have read many of the books Abell discusses or mentions - I loved hearing his observations and conclusions and comparing them with my own. Even better though, the author talks about so many books that I haven't read and now cannot wait to do so.
My favourite bits were the stories from Abell's family and personal life: listening to what he calls "old rock" with his dad while they did homework and worked respectively, boring his children with etymological fun facts (which I found fascinating), admitting that he doesn't have any friends because he only has time for his job and his family, and the list goes on.
Abell reminded me of my own beloved family memories that I have not remembered way too long thanks to the busyness of daily life. (Memories such as drawing and listening to Eagles together with my dad while he was working in his studio, or reading curled up in my favourite armchair, my mum next to me in her favourite spot with her own book, the two of us reading in silence together for hours, just taking turns to make more tea, and then talking about what each of us read and what we thought about it.)
This book made me feel happy and nostalgic since it reminded me of all the happy reading memories and provided me with a plethora of books I cannot wait to read. This book also made me smile, laugh, and roar with laughter. (I will never read Henry James again without grinning internally. The bit about Rumi made me laugh so much my husband peered curiously at my phone to see what I was listening to.) I've learnt so much about books, authors, and reading itself from this book.
I usually prefer reading books to listening to audiobooks, but I loved the author's reading of his text - it added authenticity and made the quips and anecdotes even funnier and the family stories and serious bits even more moving.
Overall, an excellent, enlightening, and heart-warming piece of writing that any bookworm will enjoy.
Thank you, Mr Abell. I cannot wait to read more of your work.
November 6, 2022
A wide survey of great literary works, interspersed with the odd lesser-known cult classic. I always enjoy Abell’s musings in the TLS, so the name caught my eye when I happened upon this book in the local library. He often delves into the biographical contexts of the texts’ authors, sensitively describing their struggles, which ranged from repeated rejection from publishers to outright persecution for being who they are. A few works Abell has inspired me to pick up (either for the first time or following an earlier forlorn attempt) include:
Historical novels: George Eliot, ‘Romola’ (1863). A painstakingly researched account of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, centred around the daughter of a scholar who holds peculiar views and falls for a beyond-contemptible f– boy.
American classics: Herman Melville, ‘Moby Dick’ (1851). I’ve tried and I’ve tried to soldier through with this ‘baggy monster’ of a text and am committed to finishing it someday. As Abell advises, you just have to embrace the text’s eccentricity (e.g. paragraph upon paragraph going into nauseating detail on such matters as the whale’s appendage)
Comic fiction: John K. Toole, ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ (1980). One of the literary rejections which was only published due to the tenacity of the late author’s mother, but has since sold 1.5 million copies. The protagonist is one Ignatius T. Reilly - an overweight, irascible, indolent debauchee who lives with his mother and has a mediaeval history degree (hopefully the last part is our only common ground!)
Non-Fiction: Rachel Carson, ‘Silent Spring’ (1962) and Susan Sontag ‘Against Interpretation’ (1966). Carson’s work is a landmark in environmental literature, which follows an investigation into bird deaths caused by DDT spraying. The resultant polemic led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the banning of agricultural DDT and incurred the wrath of the chemical lobby, which only augmented Carson’s influence (cf. the Streisand Effect). Sontag’s ‘Against Interpretation’ is supposedly an antidote to the impenetrable post-modernist claptrap that is spewed out in the name of keeping academics in jobs. But I’m starting to wonder if the essay itself is committing the same offence.
Historical novels: George Eliot, ‘Romola’ (1863). A painstakingly researched account of the Florentine Republic in the 15th century, centred around the daughter of a scholar who holds peculiar views and falls for a beyond-contemptible f– boy.
American classics: Herman Melville, ‘Moby Dick’ (1851). I’ve tried and I’ve tried to soldier through with this ‘baggy monster’ of a text and am committed to finishing it someday. As Abell advises, you just have to embrace the text’s eccentricity (e.g. paragraph upon paragraph going into nauseating detail on such matters as the whale’s appendage)
Comic fiction: John K. Toole, ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ (1980). One of the literary rejections which was only published due to the tenacity of the late author’s mother, but has since sold 1.5 million copies. The protagonist is one Ignatius T. Reilly - an overweight, irascible, indolent debauchee who lives with his mother and has a mediaeval history degree (hopefully the last part is our only common ground!)
Non-Fiction: Rachel Carson, ‘Silent Spring’ (1962) and Susan Sontag ‘Against Interpretation’ (1966). Carson’s work is a landmark in environmental literature, which follows an investigation into bird deaths caused by DDT spraying. The resultant polemic led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the banning of agricultural DDT and incurred the wrath of the chemical lobby, which only augmented Carson’s influence (cf. the Streisand Effect). Sontag’s ‘Against Interpretation’ is supposedly an antidote to the impenetrable post-modernist claptrap that is spewed out in the name of keeping academics in jobs. But I’m starting to wonder if the essay itself is committing the same offence.
July 27, 2025
Really excellent book - basically a reading diary with lots of piquant and clever comment and analysis on lots of different genres and a nice range of reading material - classics certainly but also well loved popular fiction and one chapter on non fiction - there are also entertaining bits where Stig Abell goes off on a tangent and becomes more discursive
Inc some intriguing footnotes.
This is all supposed to be educative and Abell was the TLS editor for a while ( didn’t Murdoch make him edit The Sun at one point - a la sublime to ridiculous) ?
Still it’s not all highbrow and he’s clever enough to do the job of persuading the reader to maybe pickup some of his “ reads” when he’s on the 628 train every morning. There are interesting self deprecating hints - he’s married with kids but his wife is his only friend?? He repeats the no friends thing a few times ?? Presumably they’d be interrupting his reading??
I enjoy this sort of thing anyway and support anything that promotes the joy of books and reading including widening the search for good books-
Interesting that Abel himself now writes cosy crime ( inevitably) and hosts on Times Radio- presumably still reading widely - imagine he may follow up this book at some point . Recommend!
Inc some intriguing footnotes.
This is all supposed to be educative and Abell was the TLS editor for a while ( didn’t Murdoch make him edit The Sun at one point - a la sublime to ridiculous) ?
Still it’s not all highbrow and he’s clever enough to do the job of persuading the reader to maybe pickup some of his “ reads” when he’s on the 628 train every morning. There are interesting self deprecating hints - he’s married with kids but his wife is his only friend?? He repeats the no friends thing a few times ?? Presumably they’d be interrupting his reading??
I enjoy this sort of thing anyway and support anything that promotes the joy of books and reading including widening the search for good books-
Interesting that Abel himself now writes cosy crime ( inevitably) and hosts on Times Radio- presumably still reading widely - imagine he may follow up this book at some point . Recommend!
January 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this - living abroad I was not familiar with Mr Abell but will read more. It’s a very balanced book - chatty but still intellectual, modern but not self consciously woke. I had read probably half of the things he reviewed and half are things I can maybe look into.
Only two criticisms - the best chapter was the one on nonfiction, so maybe he should have read more non fiction ! There was also a weird coda to the book talking about Covid which doesn’t add much and in fact lessens the impact of his good December chapter.
Only two criticisms - the best chapter was the one on nonfiction, so maybe he should have read more non fiction ! There was also a weird coda to the book talking about Covid which doesn’t add much and in fact lessens the impact of his good December chapter.
October 25, 2022
A great idea for a book and I'm grateful for having my reading horizons broadened. The format does feel a little forced (it's meant to be a diary but it doesn't read like that at all apart from the odd mention of a contemporary event). If he wrote about what he was reading and how it affected him then that would have been far more interesting. The odd name drop from his work as an editor was unnecessary and a little degrading. Fortunately, the sincere moments and personable revelations make up for those shortcomings.
January 27, 2022
I really didn’t like this book at all. Maybe I should have read it as a paper book rather than on a kindle. I was hoping it would give me lots of inspiration on things to read but sadly it just didn’t. There are maybe a couple of things that I will now read but only because he mentioned them in passing and I’ve done further research. I had such high hopes having heard him on Chris Evans show when the book first came out.
Sorry Stig.
Sorry Stig.
July 15, 2023
It is odd, I suppose, to enjoy reading a book which describes it’s author reading books. Of course, the enjoyment is derived from hearing about the books in question and the possibility that one can then experience the same enjoyment by reading them oneself. Stig Abel chooses well and writes intelligently and thoughtfully about his choices. He tries to cover the full spectrum of literature, dividing it into 12 one month chunks, each examining different genres. He does it excellently!
May 10, 2021
50 minutes reading on a commute for a year -he got through a lot! He set himself about 3 books a month but discusses and suggests many more. Not sure that I would have chosen the same, though should’ve have done as reading more widely is part of his job whereas I tend to read things I’m pretty sure I will like. Different motives then.
July 15, 2023
This is Stig Abell's reading diary for 2019... I'm on Goodreads, so can hardly claim not to be interested in other's views on an eclectic mix of books, but reading a whole collection of one person's slightly random thoughts was... a bit much.
More at https://sjhoward.co.uk/ive-been-readi...
More at https://sjhoward.co.uk/ive-been-readi...
April 6, 2021
I love reading about what people read - it’s weird! Liked this book despite the numerous footnotes which usually I despise - these were quite entertaining. Got some new ideas what to read next (and whatnot to read too)
July 13, 2024
Really enjoyed some chapters but some left me a bit cold. To be expected really, as some of the genres Abell covers (he reads a different genre each month) don't appeal at all, so the books he was writing about didn't capture my interest. Didn't actually finish it, which I'd very unusual for me.
January 2, 2021
I love reading books about books.....
October 30, 2021
Abell seems like a decent, if slightly weird, bloke. Why does he mention multiple times he doesn’t have any friends like its some sort of brag?
December 23, 2021
Sorry Just not my type of book
March 13, 2022
Excellent. A real reader's book; knowledgeable recommendations and delightful appreciations of a broad selection of literature.
June 25, 2022
Just loved it
Ended up limiting my reading time so I could make it last longer
If you are a bibliophile you will love it
Ended up limiting my reading time so I could make it last longer
If you are a bibliophile you will love it
September 2, 2022
Enjoyable read, with Abell excellent company - his vast knowledge of books means there's a wealth of anecdotes about famous authors on offer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews