I've recently been on holiday so got the opportunity to read that I don't always get at home.

Autobiography of British Catch-as-catch-can wrestler Billy Robinson. Loads of fascinating stuff about growing up in Manchester/Wigan in the 40's/50's. Goes a lot in the technique, his travels, his transition into 'pro wrestling', and how he went onto train for shoot-wrestling promotions in Japan and amongst others Kazushi Sakuraba.
I think my only complaint was that it felt far too brief. He almost glosses over his pro wrestling career with guys like Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki, even Ric Flair only getting mentioned in passing. I felt like Verne Gagne Karl Gotch were the only guys he really discussed. Which for me is a shame as it was his 'pro' work that got me interested. His 1 hour 2/3 Falls match with Inoki was masterful.
But, it's an easy read, he's good with anecdotes, and goes a lot into the theory and mentality of wrestling.

I'm a huge fan of John Green's work, and I absolutely flew through this. I wasn't as immediately won over with it as I was Looking for Alaska for example. But I've found it's a book that's got under my skin and I've found myself thinking about it a lot since. if quasi-philosophical books about teens being introspective aren't your bag then it's probably not the book for you.

I was a bit disappointed with this. It's a spoof autobiography about a man going for a walk, and literally rambling about rambling. I feel like they didn't really capture who Alan was at all. I felt like I barely recognised the character, and jokes just seemed shoehorned in. I've previously read I, Partridge and found it quite enjoyable. But there's something different about this one. It's not even that it feels lazy, as it feels like a lot of effort went into it. But it feels like a parody of partridge rather than pure partridge.

Another John Green book which completes me reading all his solo novels. I liked it more than Turtles whilst reading it, but I think it perhaps comes off as his weakest in hindsight. It takes forever to get going, and when it does it's over really quickly. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy the journey. Weakest is probably the wrong word, least favourite is probably more what I want to say. I think it's just I wanted less when there was more, and more when there was less.

I had started this on holiday a few years back, but only made it as far as Act II before it was time to go home. I started again and really enjoyed that first Act. But from thereon in I found it a real slog as he describes the mood, feel, emotions, actions etc of the town and all it's people in meticulous detail. By the time the plague was over I felt like I'd endured the book as the inhabitants had endured the plague. I felt a relief and like a weight had been lifted. I have no idea if that was the intention, but I certainly appreciated that about it even if it wasn't necessarily a book I enjoyed.