2026, no. 31 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. A novel in the form of letters. An old white wealthy American woman relates to the world and her past through correspondence. Quite a boring format not helped by the correspondent’s character. One of the weaker books on the Women’s 🏆 longlist

2027, no. 30 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Research station and seed bank facing the impact of global warming is the setting for this mystery suspense. Very enjoyable read. Another excellent title from the women’s prize long list. A recommended read.

2026, no. 29 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕 Resisting Racial Capitalism by Ida Danewid Fantastic and fascinating book which combines analysis with hope and optimism. I found it truly inspiring. Strong recommendation.

2026, no. 28 ⭐️⭐️ Everything Is Police by Tia Trafford Great title but disappointing read. Exclusively looks west to the slave colonies without even a glance east. A really reductive account of ‘race’. Some interesting ideas but lost in the book’s ridged & ultimately unconvincing central arguments.

2026, no. 27 Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The story of a Palestinian, from his birth in Palestine in the mid1940s through exile in Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Italy and the United States. The trauma of a life out of place. Another excellent book from the Women’s Prize longlist.

2026, no. 26 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Echoes by Evie Wyld. A fantastic book. London and remote Australia. Featuring a ghost, but one who fails to haunt, it is inter generational trauma that haunts. Really enjoyed reading this and would strongly recommend ❤️

"The war is not meant to be won. It is meant to be continuous." Orwell 1984

2026, no. 25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ As If by Isabel Waidner Two remarkably similar men living each other’s lives. Lots of internal dialogue which I don’t particularly like. Potential for farce but the author lacks commitment to it. Overall a bit disappointing.

2026, no. 24. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar Another brilliant book from the women’s prize longlist. Set in a near-future Kolkata suffering soaring temperatures. With 7 days to go before leaving for America on a climate visa Ma’s family & a homeless man cross paths. Recommended.

2026, no. 23 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Who cares about Wales by Will Haywood. A detailed review of all the political challenges facing Cymru ahead of the Senedd elections. Really useful reference resource. An interesting omission is crime and devolution of “justice”, well done Will for resisting this temptation!

2026, no. 22 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dominion by Addie E Citchens Set in Mississippi a brilliant novel exploring the experience of two women and the ‘dominion’ of the patriarchy operating within a Black church. 👏 to Women’s Prize judges for long listing and introducing me to Diamond and Priscilla.

2026, no. 21 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Contesting Freedom - edited collection. Some really good essays on the post-emancipation Caribbean and in particular how the state and planters adapted social control arrangements to manage the “free” workforce. An excellent resource.

2026, no. 20 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Moderation by Elaine Castill Lots of potential here, moderation of social media sites and VR worlds (and how it interacts with AI), but all a bit shallow. In the end a workplace love story with a weak but sweet ending. I hope the rest of the women’s prize long list are stronger

2026, no. 19 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Internal Empire by Victor Bulmer-Thomas A really interesting account of Britain with the focus on England’s domination of Wales, Ireland and Scotland as the foundation of the British empire. Strong suggestion that without empire Britain loses its purpose. Well worth a read.

2026, no. 18. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ní Mhaoilcoin ❤️ Stunning novel of Irish family, devout Catholic parents, son wants to be a priest and lesbian daughter. Explores the tensions between birth and chosen family, how fucked up Catholicism is and how trauma follows us all. Recommend ❤️

“Is a situation being engineered where we are being encouraged to believe that prisoners are inherently violent, beasts that require their guards to be armed … Is a culture in prisons being manufactured that promotes violence and creates divisions?” From 2018 jmmoore.org/2018/10/21/p...

2026, no. 17 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bad Fiction by Rebecca Sarah Ley. An elite university creative writing course taught by a successful novelist. What could go wrong? A tale of the abuse of power, plagiarism, unwanted (and wanted) sex and the desperate desire to be published. An enjoyable read.

2026, no. 16 ⭐️⭐️ Moses Ascending by Sam Selvon Picks up the story of Moses from Lonely Londoners. Big disappointment with Moses (& Selvon?) having become increasingly cynical. Unpleasant stereotypes of people from the Indian sub-continent and Black activists. Also horridly misogynistic.

2026, no. 15 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Murder or accident? A brilliant story, set in the Afghanistan diaspora in the USA that unfolds through the short statements of a range of witnesses (everyone except the family and police). Fascinating structure that left me none the wiser. Would make a great book club read.

I am pro Iranian people. I stand with them against their own government’s repression AND against the imperial violence in the form of bombs dropped from the sky from Israel & the US who have already killed hundreds. I support neither imperialism or dictatorship. Sahar Delijani said it best:

2026. No. 14 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jean by Madeleine Dunnigan 1976 Boarding School, catering for troubled boys. Beautiful writing capturing the loves, lusts and angst of 17 year olds. Enjoyable read but some unnecessary shoddiness in historic research. Not a problem unless, like me, you were 18 in 1976

2026, No. 13 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What worries us and what should worry us. As usual with Dorling, grounded in often surprising statistics. I was struck by how much of what we worry about is determined by the 1%, to their great advantage. Fascinating stuff, although sections on “crime” were a little superficial.

2026. No. 12. ⭐️⭐️ Meditations on art and relationships which I found quite boring. Others loved it, I want to join in with the heckling. Struggled to finish.

Essay centred around Queen Victoria’s birthday party on the penal settlement in Norfolk Island exploring debates about the functions of state punishment which continue (and are actually discourses of legitimisation). jmmoore.org/2024/04/29/d...

2026, No 11 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A collection published with days of Kissinger’s death. If read in Hell, Kissinger will be very welcomed. Reinforces both the extent to which he was responsible for so much evil and how he was part of a system that is the real evil. Read it & become a more committed revolutionary.

2026. No. 10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wow, what a novel. Ex-president Bhutto is hanged and Hanif explores the reaction in OK Town, through the eyes of a range of well drawn characters. A serious satire of postcolonial Pakistan, Booker prize contender and a strongly recommended read. Loved it ❤️❤️

2026, No. 9 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Husband disappears only to return years later and get into a fight leaving a man dead. Running away/road trip follows. Enjoyable read and better than other recent road trip novels.

How I responded to the question – What bit of criminal justice would you give up? Resisting the Traitorous Temptation of Criminal Justice

May be of interest to historians of criminology. Drafted for teaching I thought it was worth sharing on my blog.

Is the Empire coming home? This 2014 paper examines the relationship between neoliberalism and the increased use of incarceration in the British state, incorporating colonial experiences into the discourse. It contends that current punitive measures are not a new phenomenon but rather a…

2026, No. 8 ❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️ Amazing book, 5⭐️ felt inadequate. Lagos, queer community, families (birth & chosen) and a host of characters I fell madly in love with 💕💕. Brilliant writing and a joy to read, it is what it says on the cover: Necessary Fiction

2026, no. 6 ⭐️ Disappointing read. The major developments of abolitionism in the 21st century are largely ignored. Abolition organising struggled in the 1980s in the UK due to contradictions in its analysis, thinking which remains central to this book.

Just Us At demonstrations protesting police killings and deaths in state custody the slogan “No Justice, No Peace” is a recurring chant. Those protesting the violence and brutality of the state and its agents repeatedly cry out for justice, an appeal, by implication, to the very same state’s…

2027, no. 7 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brighton, student night club, families (biological and queer), pregnancy and love ❤️. I loved the writing, the characters and the story ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Read it!

2026, no. 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Started engrossed by the story, but an abrupt move to another character’s story and then onto a third central character made it a bit disjointed. Sadly, it never came together. But each part worked on its own giving a fascinating window into Pakistan.

2026, no. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brilliant collection of essays that demonstrates that what is presented as natural is in fact a human construction. We can create a better world, many of the ingredients already exist.

@versobooks.bsky.social sale❤️🙏

2026, no. 3 ⭐️⭐️ A classic that foresaw the future? Or a dated middle class winge about the unwashed? Condemns the mob without any analysis of who is driving them and the interests they promote.

2026, no. 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An utterly enthralling account of partition. Awesome writing, had me gripped from the first page. Highly recommended.

Just Us At demonstrations protesting police killings and deaths in state custody the slogan “No Justice, No Peace” is a recurring chant. Those protesting the violence and brutality of the state and its agents repeatedly cry out for justice, an appeal, by implication, to the very same state’s…

✊💚✊💚✊💚

2026, no. 1. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Part political satire, part whodunnit, part memoir. Truth like innocence proves very slippery. Conservative think tanks, oxbridge, class and the anger of the right. Enjoyable read, recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Final read from the Booker longlist. Enjoyed this tale of translation and mistranslation. Dentists, psychologists, husbands, and the insecurities of borders. Recommend

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brilliant short story collection from Sri Lanka’s finest. Sharp observations, at times bitter, at others twisted. Strong recommendation

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Brilliant writing, utterly absorbing story, escaping a bad marriage, homelessness and the psychological damage of structural male violence. A very hard read. “Your husband didn’t hit you? Well that was very fucking nice of him. Make sure you text and say thanks.”

From 1971 Well worth a watch youtu.be/zS1gdn6vAWc?...

4pm Wednesday 26th November, I am presenting at a BSC Historical Criminology seminar on the origins of penal excess. Is it something the British learnt in its empire or something the English had developed before empire? Online - to register and get the zoom link: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/93...

4pm Wednesday 26th November, I am presenting at a BSC Historical Criminology seminar on the origins of penal excess. Is it something the British learnt in its empire or something the English had developed before empire? Online - to register and get the zoom link: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/93...

Read it, it’s brilliant 💕💕