The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

One of the odder Dickens novels, in that the slightly stop-go nature of its writing is evident in the structure of the story. But it contains many memorable characters and the death of Little Nell is, as billed, melodramatic in the extreme. The best thing about it is the evocation of the rapidly changing society of Dickens's time, with graphic scenes from the industrial hell that was the Black Country and the grey, foggy London that we know from so many other of his novels.

Not all that much comedy - a dark book, all in all.

The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi

An intensely serious and penetrating book, that I certainly felt I had to respect and venerate, in a certain way, by only reading when I knew I could concentrate and give it the attention it deserves.

It addresses, with amazing humanity and insight, the astonishing evil that was the Holocaust and the mentality of those that made it happen. But Levi is a Jew and a survivor of the death camps, so he commands our attention when he speaks in such measured and powerful words.

We must all wonder how such incredibly evil things could have happened. This book goes much further in answering that question than any detailed account of the historical events as it examines the psychology of those who perpetrated these evils and those who suffered at their hands.

A tense, sobering book that ought really to be required reading for every European.

China in Ten Words by Yu Hua

This is a fairly hyped book; but it is justified, I think. The author is Chinese, which gives him a head start when it comes to understanding China and its myriad contradictions. He writes really interestingly about the Cultural Revolution in particular, and its enduring impact on so many Chinese people of a certain age.

The format of the book is simple - he chooses ten Chinese words, like 'writing', 'disparity', 'leader' and 'people', then offers an essay on each, drawing as he does so lessons about modern Chinese society. Much of what he says is, in a very measured way, critical of today's China. But he lives and works there and has not been persecuted politically, as far as I know, so he is carving out a position that commands credibility.

A refreshing and intriguing book.

A HIstory of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

This is the book that came out of, and prints pretty much word for word, a series on British BBC radio where the head of the British Museum talks about 100 objects in the collection and surveys world history in the process. I listened to a few of the radio episodes and enjoyed them but a book is a much better format, not least because it has pictures, which help to colour in the ideas in the text.

Each object is described and discussed in what was mostly the script for the radio programmes. Neil McGregor writes cleverly, humorously and with great erudition. It is an ideal book to read occasionally, when you have about 5 minutes to spare.

Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith

I wanted to read this because it is so often dramatised, quoted and referred to by other writers. It was originally serialised in Punch magazine, a British humorous journal that went out of business about 20 years ago but which was for most of the twentieth century a British institution. It is a very Punch-ish sort of book. Funny, in a gentle and ironic way.

Weedon did the drawings, which are alright but don't add all that much, and George did the writing. It is easy to read and quietly amusing, as long as you are familiar with the British class system and the niceties of social mores it brings about.

I enjoyed it but it is an entertainment (no shame in that) rather than an attempt to capture serious meanings.

God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens

For people who have never been believers in religion, like me, this book is an invigorating cold shower that dusts off the ideas you sort of knew but never articulated and reassures you of the righteousness of the atheist view. It is so well written and well argued - funny frequently and simply brilliant at explaining, with appropriate levels of irony, the absurdities of the religious view.

A great, great read, especially for people 'of faith', who will surely have to resort to the last intellectual refuge of the religious, namely the assertion that the Supreme Being is somehow testing us and that faith is virtuous in some vague way, in order to deal with its arguments.

Recommended to all.

The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton

I am a fan of Alain de Botton's books. They are similar in format - plenty of pictures and lots of fascinating allusions to great thinkers and artists.

This book lives up to expectations. Each chapter is about an aspect of travelling - anticipation, curiosity, the inspiration of awe - and each relies on a 'guide', a writer, artist or philosopher whose ideas are relevant.

There is also humour, as the author recounts his own travelling experiences in an elliptical and self deprecating style. A good book to read on a train or a plane, naturally. But also a diverting and entertaining arrangement of ideas and insights, quite loosely revolving around travel.

Very enjoyable.