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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The soundtrack to my commute this week: We Are The Pipettes by The Pipettes. Just perfect early 00's pop (yes, it is nearly 20 yrs old) Riotbecki, Gwenno and Rosay will always be music royalty to me.

The US version of We Are The Pipettes. It shows Riotbecki, Gwenno and Rosay as giants standing in an American city.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#Booksof2026 64 - Grasshopper Jungle by @marburyjack.bsky.social Austin is in love with his best friend, and his girlfriend. This is a big problem, but smaller than the swarm of six ft praying mantis taking over the world. Fun, but I would have liked more of the girlfriend's point of view #BookSky

The hardback cover of Grasshopper Jungle. It's very green

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#Booksof2026 62 - In The Footsteps of Mr Kurtz by @michelawrong.bsky.social Snapshot tales of the last days of President Mobutu's rule of Zaire (now DR Congo). It's interesting to compare the late 90s with now. I also recommend her book on Eritrea (I Didn't Do It For You) #BookSky

The paperback cover depicts a close up of a Zaire banknotes.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Booksof2026 61 - Oh No It Isn't by @paulcornell.bsky.social I don't think I've re-read this since it was published in 1997 It does a reasonable job of setting up Prof. Bernice Summerfield post Doctor Who, but some bits (Summerfield lusting after a teenage student) haven't aged well #BookSky

The cover of Oh No It Isn't by Paul Cornell. The design is by Jon Sullivan and features a woman with short dark hair, and a humanoid cat.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#Booksof2026 60 - Men of Intelligence by Sir Kenneth Strong A slightly quirky book from the 1970s by the first Director General of Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence. Interesting reflections on what military intelligence is (and isn't) and how it can be used. #BookSky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#Booksof2026 59 - The White Rose of Stalingrad by Bill Yenne An interesting biography of Lidiya Litvyak, the Soviet WW2 fighter pilot, but it is a bit baggy in parts. Might have worked better with a wider scope covering the entire Soviet female fighter pilot force. #BookSky

The hardback cover depicts Lidiya's face and a fighter plane.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#Booksof2026 58 - Uganda's Transition Question I don't normally post about books read in mostly work capacity; but this set of interviews from figures across the Ugandan political spectrum was fascinating on the culture and nature of politics. #BookSky

The cover of Uganda's Transition Question.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#Booksof2026 57 - Showbusiness by @markradcliffe.bsky.social I think you would have to be a bigger fan of 70s rock music than me to appreciate this book. #Booksky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Features one of the best opening paragraphs in non-fiction.

"This is a book about dictator literature - that is to say, it is a book about the canon of works written by or attributed to dictators. As such, it is a book about some of the worse books ever written, and so was excruciatingly painful to research."

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

#Booksof2026 56 - The Infernal Library by Daniel Kalder An enjoyable critique of 20th Dictator literature (i.e. books written by them, rather than about them). Shock news; some of Mussolini's works, esp parts of his WW1 diary, are not completely and utterly terrible. #BookSky

The hardback cover of The Infernal Library depicts books being dropped like bombs.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

#Booksof2026 55 - The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien It's been about 20 years since I last this and I had forgotten how much the narrator uses humour. #BookSky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

#Booksof2026 54 - The Man Of My Dreams by @csittenfeld.bsky.social I quite enjoyed this tale of Hannah growing up in the 90s and 00s and the ups and downs of her love life. It is the first Curtis Sittenfeld book I've read, and I'm keen to read another. #BookSky

The paperback cover of The Man Of My Dreams

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

#Booksof2026 53 - Raft by Stephen Baxter What I liked most about this science fiction novel was that the plot was kick started by a character wanting to know more about his universe, and through the rest of the book, he never loses his curiosity and desire to know. #BookSky

The SF Masterworks edition of Raft by Stephen Baxter.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

#Booksof2026 51 - Slavic Myths edited by Jake Jackson, intro by Ema Lakinska. Interesting collection, especially as it brings out the common themes and motifs e.g. travelling to the thirtieth kingdom #BookSky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

#Booksof2026 50 - Wellness by Nathan Hill I tried to like it. I thought the opening chapter was great; so maybe I would have enjoyed it if it had remained a simple love story. But the satire felt flat and too contrived. #BookSky

The paperback cover of Wellness has lots of stripes

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

#Booksof2026 49 - Something Doesn't Add Up by Paul Goodwin An informative and relatively easy to read primer on the importance of basic statistical knowledge. It was fine. #BookSky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

#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

The cover of Dunstan. A man on a horse on a snowy field.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

#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

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

#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

Josh Kirby cover for the paperback edition of Men At Arms.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

#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

The cover of The Secret Listeners has two people listening to radio messages with the pyramids behind them.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Though this is the book you need to read if you want the full story of 1066, the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux Tapestry. #BookSky

The Normans Are Coming: The Truth About 1066 by Gillian Clements

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

#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

Hardback cover of The Norman Achievement. Depicts the interior of a Norman chapel.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

#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

The cover is miniature figures on a white background. Most of the figures are painted entirely white, but 10% are painted red.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

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

The cover depicts Odysseus tied to the mast of his ship whilst a siren flies past.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

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.

A view of the hills of Southern Uganda, taken from a viewpoint on the Zomba Plateau

The Shire River at sunset. Taken from Liwonde National Park

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

#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

The cover depicts Victoria Falls; but the events in the book don't take place anywhere near there.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#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

The paperback cover of Cold Storage Alaska

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

#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

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

#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

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

#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

The Signet Classic paperback edition (from the 1960s).

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

#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

The paperback cover has a painting by Banksy of an ass dressed like an angel.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

#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

In Morocco by Edith Wharton; modern paperback cover

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

#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

The hardback cover depicts two boys on a rooftop looking out over a city.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

#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

This is the original UK paperback edition. It cost me 20p in a charity shop last year.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

#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

The paperback cover. Any similarities with the red shirt uniform in Star Trek is probably coincidence.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

#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

The paperback cover depicts a large sun (reminiscent of the Japanese flag). Silhouetted is a crashing plane and a dancing boy.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

#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

The cover features a naked woman, a plane, a swimming pool, a rising sun. It is a very ballard book cover.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

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

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

#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

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

#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

The hardback cover of South Pole Station. It shows a signpost embedded in ice, directions to Minneapolis, Kuwait City and other places.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

#Booksof2026 23 - Binti by @nnedi.bsky.social In this Science Fiction novella, Binti is the first person in her family to leave Earth to travel to a prestigious university. On the way, something happens (spoilers). I loved how the themes of "home" and "earth" were woven through the story. #BookSky

Hardback cover of Binti. It shows a young woman with braided hair. This is also important in the story.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

#Booksof2026 22 - Graveminders by @melissamarrwriting.bsky.social A horror romance where Rebekkah learns that her recently deceased grandmother played a crucial role in keeping their small town safe. The creepiness works well, esp through the theme of being drawn back to your home town. #BookSky

The paperback cover of Graveminders. It has a woman holding a lamp with her back to the reader.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

#Booksof2026 21 - Norse Fairy and Folk Tales, compiled by James Shepherd Collections of folk tales are interesting as through reading one story after another the common themes and motifs become more easily identifiable. #BookSky

The cover shows a giant walking above/through a forest.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

#Booksof2026 20 - Himawari House by Harmony Becker Nao, Hyejung and Tina have all travelled to Japan from their home countries to find their own ways in life. A fun coming of age story about heritage, love, friendship and the joy of learning another language. #BookSky

The hardback cover depicts three young women (19 to 25).

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

#Booksof2026 19 - Weep Not, Child by Ngugi Wa Thiongo Short but powerful story about the impact of the 'Mau Mau' war in pre-independence Kenya, and the splits between families and communities. #BookSky

Cover by Adrian Wiszniewski depicts two young men on a rubbish heap. One holds a piece of wood, the other is reading.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Some photos from a recent trip to Italy. 1) Inside Milan Cathedral; I loved how the light from the window reflects on the pillar. 2) Velasca Tower in Milan; fantastic architecture 3) Michelangelo's David; genuinely lives up to the fame 4) Possibly the entire Vatican City rail network.

Inside Milan Cathedral. The sunlight is shining through stained glass windows on the left, and is being reflected of a stone pillar on the right.

The Velasca Tower looks like a normal tower block, until the top six stories which jut out.

The statue of David. He looks thoughtful from this angle.
I hadn't realised until now that a light in the background is shining onto him, giving a gentle glow to the arch of his lower back.

A short section of two track railway line with a siding. Behind is the Vatican gardens.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

#Booksof2026 18 - William The Conqueror by Richmal Crompton. What many don't realise is that the earlier William stories (of which this collection is one) were not primarily written for children. William is used to parody and satire adult life. #BookSky

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

#Booksof2026 17 - Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (tr. Sophie Hughes). Episodes of life following the murder of a "witch" in a Mexican village. The constant thread of misogyny and sexual violence gives a sense of the reality of life there, but does make for a challenging read. #BookSky

This plain blue copy of Hurricane Season is rather battered. I think the weathering marks work quite well in depicting the tone of the book.

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Stephen Bickers @stephenbickers.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

#Booksof2026 16 - Limbo by Bernard Wolfe. A dystopian science fiction where young men amputate their limbs to reduce their aggression. Similar in tone to Brave New World, including a not entirely satirical unpleasant misogynistic undercurrent. Don't think it has aged well. #BookSky

The Science Fiction Masterworks cover of Limbo by Bernard Wolfe.

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