Book: In My Life by Alan Johnson

I loved the 3 original Alan Johnson memoirs and was sad knowing the last one that took him through his political years would be the end.

Then someone had the bright idea of another memoir circling around one main track for each of the 25 years featured here.

So whereas the story has already been told, new anecdotes appear around the author's wannabee musician shenanigans and the soundtrack that backed each year. Each track has a chapter starting from the first song that meant something in 1957 all the way to the early 1980s avoiding anything from the poppier side of glam rock.

I don’t recall Elvis Costello factoring this much through the previous books or indeed Bruce Springsteen, so there is some new territory for sure.

Having thoroughly been enraptured equally by all 4 memoirs, I may be tempted by the subsequent novels. It’s a helluva productive retirement.