Reading - October 2025

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (2025)

I've been meaning to read an Abby Jimenez novel for a while - she seems to live in the same category as Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry et al. And I'm pleased I did! I'm not sure if this is typical of her work (this is her latest and she seems to be at the point in her career - several books in - where she might try something a bit different) but it's a really sweet story, although possibly a little more drawn out than I would have liked - although perhaps that means that once our central couple finally work everything out, it's more satisfying. The overall tone reminds me of a good Silhouette romance. Good enough to make me find more.

Bit of a Blur by Alex James (2007)

All I know of Blur is the records, mostly those from the mid-90s when they were inescapable for anyone in the UK, let alone someone who read about and bought albums as much as I did. So the tabloid-level excess and rock'n'roll lifestyle revealed here is something of a surprise to naive old me. It's a mad life, told in a surprisingly matter-of-fact way and if it's hard not feel a little jealous, it's worth remembering that possibly the book focuses less on the downsides of such behaviour. Certainly there's not an awful lot of reflection on the damage caused to other people. Still, a classic of the genre and an incredible story.

A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by Christopher Brookmyre (2001)

Still great!

Taxtopia by The Rebel Accountant (2023)

First off, I think everyone should read this, because it lays out a lot of important information that's perhaps not as widely known as it should be, and in an entertaining and very accessible way. Tax laws are ludicrously over-complicated and heavily weighted in favour of the wealthy. Clearly this is all very unfair and sorely in need of complete reform - although equally obviously no government will ever do so. Is this because actually the situation is deliberately confusing and a sign of how corrupt politicians are? The Rebel Accountant thinks so, and he's in a better position to know than I am, but I'm still unconvinced. As a result of a working life in big corporates and observing big corporate stupidity, I'm a firm believer in Hanlon's Razor and I think that applies here. As such, I don't think the tax laws are the result of a worldwide conspiracy, just decades - centuries - of self-interested idiots.