Welcome to the August check-in for the 2025 Motif Reading Challenge. We’re excited to host it again this year here at Chapter Adventure.
August Motif
“Vacation Location”
Read a book that takes you to a location you’d love to visit OR read a book that explores elements of that place or culture.
HOW IT WORKS:
:: Each month read one book that fits the motif (theme) for the month.
:: Follow @chapter_adventure on Instagram and Threads if you’re there. And/or join our Goodreads Challenge Group (Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges). The challenge is also available to track on Storygraph! Post about your read for that month on our monthly check-in post here or at any of the platforms previously mentioned with the hashtag #motifreadingchallenge.
:: Most importantly – Have Fun!
A FEW BOOK RECS
Challenge Complete: Read a book that takes you to a location you’d love to visit OR read a book that explores elements of that place or culture.
Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell
Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive look at a thousand years of English history; more a collection of anecdotes regarding some truly terrible behavior. As Mitchell notes at the beginning of the book, unless you already know something about these (mostly) men, the book might not make a lot of sense. As far as he’s concerned, you pass the test if you know that, in 1066, William the Conqueror became king of England.
The book is mildly humorous, as Mitchell points out the rulers’ foibles, though their accomplishments are mostly overlooked. Which sort of placed basically good rulers (Henry II, Edward III and IV,) which some really bad ones (John I, Edward II, Henry VI.) I thought the book would have been better with a more balanced view.
What the book does best is show how the idea of kingship came about, and how, and why, it’s evolved over the years. The years covered are those when the power was nearly absolute and stops when that’s coming to an end.
Of course, much of this is his opinion, which seems to be not very good when it comes to professional historians, so there’s that. Some of what he wrote I thought spot on. Some, not so much. The book comes in long at slightly over 400 pages, but it’s an easy read and, while not as funny as I thought it would be, still entertaining.