#Booksof2026 48 - Dunstan by Conn Iggulden Historical fictional account of the life of St Dunstan (c. 909 to c. 988) Enjoyable to read, and seemed broadly historically accurate. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 47 - A London Safari by Rose Rouse. I haven't lived in Harlesden since I was 9, but this 2014 book of Rose talking to people whilst they walk around the best area of London was very evocative and nostalgic. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 46 - Men At Arms by @terryandrob.bsky.social I love this @terrypratchett.bsky.social book so much. The bromance between Detritus and Cuddy; the romance between Carrot and Angua; the other romance between Carrot and Ankh Morpork. It is just perfection #BookSky

I had the pleasure of meeting Guy Scott multiple times, both in work and personal capacity. A very interesting man with incredible knowledge about the environment nature and agriculture.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2w ago

Wrote an obituary for Guy Scott, the first and thus far only white man to run a democratic government in postcolonial Africa:

#Booksof2026 45 - Lords and Ladies by @terrypratchett.bsky.social Once a year, I get a week with my @discworldofficial.bsky.social books, so this year I re-read my favourite Witches novel. Magrat vs the Queen, the staring contest, what it takes to be the best... A completely excellent book #BookSky

#Booksof2026 44 - The Secret Listeners by Sinclair McKay The story of how the British Y Service intercepted enemy radio transmissions during WW2. It was interesting, but I would have liked more maps and a bit more of the technical details. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 43 - The Norman Achievement by Richard Cassady As well as the Duchy of Normandy and the conquest of England, I learnt a lot about the Norman kingdom in Sicily. Very interesting book #BookSky

Secondary school Geography teacher. Fortunately mostly teaches A Level and GCSE, so this week would only have half the usual number of lessons to suck at. Make it to Friday, and I'm fine for six weeks. But come September, it will go wrong very quickly...

Bethany Albertson@albertsonb2.bsky.social · 3w ago

Thought experiment- if you were suddenly appointed to do your sibling’s job, how badly would you suck at it?

#Booksof2026 42 - Lock In by @scalzi.com Fun science fiction thriller set in a world where people with paralysis can use robots for mobility and physical engagement. The plot has a few holes, but it moves at pace. A good book to read on a flight. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 41 - The Mighty Dead by Adam Nicolson An exploration of Homer, The Illiad and The Odyssey. An interesting and thoughtful read #BookSky

#Booksof2026 40 - The Tiger and The Wolf by @aptshadow.bsky.social Not sure if this truly counts as read as I foolishly left my unfinished copy in Kigali Airport. The first 80% of this tale of magic, shape shifting, rebellion against authoritarian fathers is excellent and great to read. #Booksky

Recently sent some time travelling around Malawi. The Zomba Plateau and the Shire River are beautiful spots. I love having the opportunity to travel around Africa.

#Booksof2026 39 - This Time The Flames by David Crackanthorpe Rhodesia in the 1930s. Secrets, racial, familial and class tensions. Has a tinge of "White Saviour" to the story. Not great. ##BookSky

#Booksof2026 38 - Cold Storage Alaska by John Straley A sort of comic crime caper set in a tiny Alaskan village. I enjoyed it, esp how each character (even the minor ones) was distinctive. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 37 - If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler I enjoyed this rather slight 1960s novel about Ben Joe returning home from university to his house full of sisters and unspoken family secrets. I was left wanting more, but also satisfied that I knew enough. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 36 - Mossflower by Brian Jacques. I think I was born a little too soon to read the Redwall books first time round; but having read this prequel, I'm sure a pre-teen me would have loved them. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 35 - Erewhon by Samuel Butler A late victorian satire building on the legacy of Gulliver's Travels. A good, short read. This book was the longest server on my To Read pile; I got it from a market stall in Lusaka, Zambia for c. 25p in early 2021 #BookSky

#Booksof2026 34 - And The Ass Saw The Angel by Nick Cave I like Nick Cave's music; but this blood filled gothic tale was just a bit much. May have worked better as an opera. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 33 - In Morocco by Edith Wharton It was interesting reading a 100+ yr old travel guide; I wonder how much has changed. The repetitive racial tropes were less pleasant to read. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 32 - Darius The Great Is Not Okay by @adibkhorram.bsky.social Darius suffers from depression and is bullied at school. A trip to Iran to meet his mother's side of the family brings friendship. A charmingly sweet novel about mental health, family heritage and being yourself. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 31 - The Best of Sci-Fi 5 edited by Judith Merril I love collections of science fiction stories from the 50s and 60s. Often so many good stories by authors whose fame hasn't lasted. This one has an early JG Ballard, but my favourite was A Death in the House by Clifford Simak. #BookSky

Played Take 5 2 times on 2026-06-04 boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/432 #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com

Take 5

Choose sequential cards for rows simultaneously, but avoid adding the 6th card!

boardgamegeek.com

Played Ticket to Ride: Europe on 2026-06-04 boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14... #bggplay via @boardgamegeek.com

Ticket to Ride: Europe

Build train routes across Europe in this sequel to the hit family board game.

boardgamegeek.com

#Booksof2026 - Redshirts by @scalzi.com A fun and affectionate take on a familiar trope from episodic science fiction TV. Andy is a new crew member of a spaceship, but he spots that away missions are very dangerous - especially for crew members in red shirts. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 29 - Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard Jim is a boy in Shanghai who gets separated from his parents amongst the Japanese army internment camps. Adventure, but also the nature of death, technology and mistakes of the British class system. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 28 - The Kindness of Women by J G Ballard Jim used to live in Shanghai, became a successful writer, his wife died young, the book based on his childhood becomes a film. It doesn't quite work as fiction based on autobiography; it's themes are better in other books. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 27 - The Oil and The Glory by Steve LeVine. A history of oil production and exploitation in Central Asia and around the Caspian Sea. It was interesting, but now I'm looking for a book that just focuses on the late 19th and early 20th century period. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 26 - Uncomfortable Laughter by Jim "Spire" Ssentongo A great collection of political cartoons (spanning 2016 to 2020) by Uganda's leading cartoonist. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 25 - The Telling by @ursulakleguin.com Sutty has travelled from Earth to the planet Aka, where the global government is corporate and materialistic. But then she has a chance to leave the cities to learn more about Aka's banned historical culture. An excellent read. #BookSky

#Booksof2026 24 - South Pole Station by @ashleyshelby.com Cooper is an artist who has received a grant to spend a year at the South Pole. Whilst there she meets an interesting range of characters. I enjoyed this book; a good mix of humour with melancholy. #BookSky