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A review by rhys_thomas_sparey
Toksvig's Almanac 2021 by Sandi Toksvig
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
An encyclopedia of women's achievements presented with exquisite wit and interposed with fun asides spanning themes as disparate as the language, history, and culture of various parts of the year: annual rituals, alternative names of months, ancient customs, and so forth.
Toksvig's knack for pairing informative concision with dry humour in precise and accessible prose made my 2021 that little bit more enlightening and enjoyable. It is also worth praising the sheer scope, historical and geographical, of the figures who are included in this volume. Both Ancient Babylonian priestesses and Mughal Indian queens get discussed. It does what it says on the proverbial tin, but there is something to be said of the layout of an almanac which can make it seem like a bit of a slog. The simple remedy for that is to feel permitted to deviate from the time span with which it is intended to be read, though I cannot help wondering if there is some other format through which this rich history could have been illustrated. Nevertheless, fans of all backgrounds who are interested in structured light reading, interesting stories, or carefully curated banter will find something worthwhile in Sandi Toksvig's Almanac.
Toksvig's knack for pairing informative concision with dry humour in precise and accessible prose made my 2021 that little bit more enlightening and enjoyable. It is also worth praising the sheer scope, historical and geographical, of the figures who are included in this volume. Both Ancient Babylonian priestesses and Mughal Indian queens get discussed. It does what it says on the proverbial tin, but there is something to be said of the layout of an almanac which can make it seem like a bit of a slog. The simple remedy for that is to feel permitted to deviate from the time span with which it is intended to be read, though I cannot help wondering if there is some other format through which this rich history could have been illustrated. Nevertheless, fans of all backgrounds who are interested in structured light reading, interesting stories, or carefully curated banter will find something worthwhile in Sandi Toksvig's Almanac.