Recommendsday: October Quick Reviews

There are not many of these this month I’m afraid, largely because I’ve read a lot of books from series, including a complete re-read of Lily Bard, but also because I read a few things that I didn’t like and don’t really want to write about either! But you’ve got two, so that’s something, and they’re both non-fiction, so maybe I should say it’s a non-fiction special and style it out? Except I’ve told you that now so it doesn’t really work does it?

Murder: The Biography by Kate Morgan*

This is a really interesting and incredibly readable look at the legal history of the crime of murder in England and how the statute has developed and evolved over time. It picks out the key cases that have shaped the law’s application – some of which you will have heard of, others you may not. If you’re a reader of crime fiction, this is really interesting – as you can see the development of things that you’ve seen in classic murder mysteries but in real cases. It also includes the development of corporate murder and manslaughter statutes and their success (or lack thereof) in the latter half of the twentieth century. Interesting and thought provoking.

Unruly by David Mitchell

I saw someone somewhere describe this as “Horrible Histories for grownups” and I think that’s not a bad comparison. This is a look at the Kings and Queens of England from King Arthur until the death of Elizabeth I from the comedian and actor (and history graduate) David Mitchell. It’s quite sweary at times and it’s full of pop culture/modern day references which I think is where that Horrible Histories comparison comes from, but I think it’s also got some comparators in the podcast world – with things like You’re Dead to Me and Even the Rich – as well as some stand-up comedy that goes on. I enjoyed it, and I learned a few things – mainly because it focuses on the early kings more than the later ones who are the ones I usually read about!

And there you go, that’s your two – they wouldn’t make bad Christmas books if you buy those for the people in your life and Unruly is in proper paperback now (as opposed to airport paperback like my copy) too so it’s more stocking sized now as well.

Happy Reading!