The ‘I Have Been Reading’ zoom meeting on 5th November 2026, saw members discussing what they had been reading. This is a list of the books discussed with a very brief summary of each book.
Perelandra – C. S. Lewis
The second novel in C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy takes readers to Perelandra (Venus), a beautiful, unspoilt world resembling the Garden of Eden. When an evil force threatens its innocence, Dr Ransom finds himself in a battle between good and evil, exploring themes of temptation, faith and human nature.
How to Make the World Add Up – Tim Harford
Economist and broadcaster Tim Harford explores how we can make better sense of the statistics and numbers that surround us every day. Through fascinating stories and ten simple rules, he shows us how to question information, recognise misleading claims and approach the world with curiosity and healthy scepticism.
Everything We Do Is Music – Elizabeth Alker
An exploration of the surprising connections between twentieth-century classical music and the world of pop and rock. Elizabeth Alker traces the influence of classical pioneers on popular music, revealing how seemingly very different musical worlds have inspired and shaped one another.
Bhowani Junction – John Masters
Set in India in the final days of British rule, this historical novel explores the tensions and uncertainties surrounding independence and partition. At its heart is Victoria Jones, an Anglo-Indian woman torn between different cultures and loyalties as she struggles to decide where she belongs.
A Rising Man – Abir Mukherjee
Set in Calcutta in 1919, this historical crime novel introduces Captain Sam Wyndham, a former Scotland Yard detective arriving in India to begin a new life in the police force. When a senior British official is brutally murdered and a threatening message is discovered, Wyndham and his Indian colleague Sergeant Banerjee must unravel a mystery against the backdrop of political unrest and the British Raj.
The Cicero Trilogy – Robert Harris
This gripping historical trilogy (Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator) follows the extraordinary career of Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman lawyer, politician and orator. Through the intrigue, rivalries and betrayals of ancient Rome, Harris brings to life the dangerous world of political ambition and the struggle for power in the dying days of the Roman Republic.
Agrippa – Robert Harris
Robert Harris turns his attention to another fascinating figure from ancient Rome in this historical novel about Marcus Agrippa, the trusted friend and military commander of Octavian, later Emperor Augustus. Against a backdrop of assassination, ambition and political manoeuvring, the novel explores how two men helped transform the Roman Republic into an empire.
The Names – Florence Knapp
Beginning in 1987, this thought-provoking novel centres on Cora, who must decide what to name her newborn son, a seemingly small decision with enormous consequences. The story unfolds through three alternative versions of the family’s future, each shaped by a different name, exploring the influence of family, identity, choice and the possibilities that life presents.