Toksvig’s Almanac is a hugely entertaining journey through the year linking each date with women who should be familiar names but, in most cases, aren’t. As the author herself says, this book was always going to be incomplete as there are so many women whose stories remain untold. History generally remembers those who write it and that is usually men. Nevertheless, the book is bursting with fascinating stories of women from all over the world, from all walks of life and from many different periods of history.

As well as being very interesting and informative, the book is also, as you might expect given the author, very funny. Sandi Toksvig tells her stories with passion and wit and encourages the reader (or in my case the listener) to look further into each women’s story as she can only touch upon their lives in this book.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and as you can imagine, it was a joy to listen to. Sandi Toksvig is very easy to listen to and brought the stories of the women to life with her charming way of relating each tale. I also enjoyed finding out about folklore from around the world associated with each month and listening out for the ‘tinkle’ that signified the poem of the month. Listening to the book at the start of the year, I was concerned to learn that January is the month I’d be most likely to be eaten by a wolf! Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be many around my area this year…

As a physical book, this would be great to dip in and out of. As an audiobook, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to a few days worth of stories at a time when I was out for a walk or in the car. Toksvig’s Almanac is a warm tribute to forgotten women, well written, clever and very amusing.

This is absolutely brilliant. Toksvig is as joyous and witty as I hoped. After listening to January I decided I needed a paper copy to fully appreciate it.

Narrated and written by the wonderful Sandi Toksvig, this book takes a unique approach to educating/informing the reader about some of the wonderful and often forgotten womxn that made major contributions to society. The book highlights a day by day format that allows for bite sized reading and as for the narration, Toksvig's usual enthusiasm and wit remains present right through to 31st of December which makes for easy listening. Throughout the book, Toksvig encourages further research into the lives of those mentioned and acts as an aperitif, leaving the reader hungry and curious for more tales that lie behind these pioneers.

Well worth the read for those who want to broaden their horizons in regards to notable (mainly female), figures in history.

This is everything I thought it would be and more! I listened to the audiobook as I was lucky enough to receive a free copy through NetGalley. It has kept me company on car journeys and as I've pottered around the house.
I wasn't sure how what is essentially a book of facts would translate to audio format, but as it was read by Sandi herself in her usual relaxed way, it all came across as really interesting and not boring at all.
It is chock a block with facts and information, and I kept pausing to research the amazing women she speaks of. I will be buying the paperback version to reference back to, it's such a joy to have all of these amazing stories told so well yet so succinctly!

My only criticism would be that it's been given a year in the title. I hope it doesn't put anyone off it in future years, as whether it's 2021 or not, this book is funny, entertaining and informative.

Wow what a great surprise this audiobook was. I was unsure whether this would be my cup of tea or not but I was pleasantly surprised. Sandi is the perfect narrator for her book as well as it just adds to the enjoyment. This book is not only a fascinating insight into amazing women largely forgotten by history but also really funny to listen to and delivered with Sandi’s warm whit and charm. It is full of poems, anecdotes and facts about women who have defeated all the odds to do amazing things often when society tells them they can’t spread around the calendar year. I loved it!

If you enjoy Sandi Toksvig on the TV and radio then you will love this book. It is very typical of her style - dry, feminist, almost anarchic humour. This book is showcasing women who have stories to share that historically have not been celebrated, you could even say have been edited out.

I loved the diverse collection of characters that Toksvig includes in her book. They are international and she has covered a huge date range. I love that the each month has a poem of the month and you learn how to say the month's name in a variety of languages.

I would have liked to have had a copy of the text to hand so that I could look at spellings for so many unusual names and also to dip in and out and flick back from time to time. However, all in all this was an entertaining read that I enjoyed.

(2nd Jan 2021 - 12:15 GMT)

Sandi Tokvig has written a book, a Eclectic Meader through the days of the year. Bringing her voice to events that will surprise you in witty and interesting ways, this  book is a perfect numerous short sessions read or listen.

About

To give its full title, Toksvig's Almanac 2021: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year by Sandi Tokvig, its an interesting listen (also available in written book form).

It is a book focused on the fabulous and infamous women in history. Focusing on the days of the year and putting famous events to them.

Events around revolutionary women vary from serial killers, pirate nuns to civil rights activists, doctors to dancing girls, artists to astronauts.

It aims to commemorate women from around the world which can for the most part, not be part of the average history book.




Stories include

Belle Star - American Bandit Queen
Lady Murasaki - Author of the world's first novel
Maud Wagner - First female tattoo artist
Eleanor G. Holm - Disqualified from 1936 Berlin Olympics for drinking too much champagne.
And Much More!!




Overall Thoughts

We listened to the audiobook and it felt like a well written QI Episode that you would get on British TV.  It feels like each fact to each story is well researched and has that comedic twist - we come to know from Sandi.

This is a perfect read/listen for anyone who likes the QI style fact that surprises the reader/listener in unique ways.  The book is aimed towards women as Sandi states in her great introduction - poking fun at some of the men of history.

Rating 4/5 - Solid Listen, Took two sessions to listen too. Very well written by Sandi and Sandi's tone works perfectly for the audio book too.

For More Info




Available in Audiobook and Unabridged Book

ISBN - 9781398701656

Price £19.99

Audiobook duration - 9 hours, 14 minutes.

I absolutely loved going with the author who is also the narrator of the audiobook through the year, month by month and day by day and discover so many interesting women and historical facts relating to women, but also being brought back into the here and now of the 21st century and see how much still needs to be addressed and changed before anything like equality between the sexes can be claimed.

As the author points out in the introductory notes all she can do in this almanac is to point out women of the past and the present to the reader. To follow up and learn more about the ones that pique your interest is down to each reader individually. I, for myself, will definitely go and explore the female pirates that have existed in various parts of the globe over time.

I also have not been aware of how colourful lives of women have been despite all the restrictions they have had to face due to their sexe.

Sandi Toksvig focused in this 2021 almanac on women that are normally overlooked in women's history, with a specific focus on women of colour and women with disabilities.

The selection is, as the subtitle says very clearly, eclectic, and yet Toksvig keeps a thread going through all the many women's lives she has noted in her almanac.

The delivery of the text on audiobook is lively and animated and perfect for the subject matter at hand. It was a joy to listen to it.

I can only agree to what the author wishes for at the end of the book, let's have many more almanacs written by all kind of different women to celebrate women and their part in history from as many different points of view as possible.

This review refers to the audiobook that I received from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I cannot say anything about the physical book. Due to its nature as an almanac, the experience might be quite a different one.

This was like a warm hug every night going to sleep when I listened for an hour. Sandi has such a wonderful voice but also I learnt so much - wow.

What I could think of is that I would love this to be an alexa skill so I could do my flash briefing everyday and relearn another nugget.

This is such a good listen it is a must listen. I have never listened or read to an almanac before.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest and fair review which I have done.

When I worked as a reference librarian Whitaker’s Almanac was one of the most useful books for answering quick reference questions. I am a huge fan of Sandi Toksvig so a combination of Sandi and an almanac sounded intriguing! This is a meander through the historical year combining calendar events with stories of females who were all remarkable in some way. There are so many amazing women, some virtually unknown, who achieved great things in spite of being frustrated in their ambition by being female. The read leaves you frustrated and appalled at how sexism and racism, in fact many ‘ism’s have reduced and shaped lives - lives that would have been even greater and would have received the recognition they deserved. This is absolutely mind blowing in the range of its coverage. I listened to Sandi Toksvig narrating this - she is of course the perfect narrator, eliciting every bit of comedy, adding a wry scrutiny and illuminating the perspective of the author. Listening to this rather than reading it had the advantage of hearing the author’s voice as well as helping out with pronunciation and making sense of stories with a linguistic or phonetic aspect. Listening to it all the way through was not the best way to listen - this is a dish best served in small, rich and joyous portions and savoured. I wanted to scramble off to read further as directed by Toksvig or look up photos for example of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. This book will be the start of many investigative journeys as I follow up! I have now purchased the hardback to further add to my delight in this wonderful almanac. With thanks to Netgalley, and Hachette Audio U.K. /Trapeze for a digital copy of this audiobook.

It is hard to describe how wonderful and interesting this book is. Sandi Toksvig is awesome in her seamless delivery of one face after another. How she did it I will never know. You can listen for hours and hours without a bored moment. I loved it.

I really like Sandi Toksvig and thoroughly enjoyed her autobiography 'Between the Stops'. When I heard about her new book, I knew I had to have a copy - I have a hardback copy and am grateful to NetGalley for this audiobook version.

The contents of the book are pretty interesting - subtitled as 'An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year', the book progresses through a range of weird and wonderful stories from history, introducing the reader to people and events they perhaps haven't encountered before. There's quirky festivals, snippets of poetry, fascinating facts and hundreds of women whose place in history needs reclaiming. Toksvig makes it clear from the beginning that it is female achievements she is interested in, although she also admits that not all the women are good or worthy of celebration as such - all womankind is here.

Although Toksvig's humour is present in the writing, a lot of the content is factual and presented without authorial comment. I thought this was a shame as I'd have loved more Toksvig evident throughout!

The audiobook, of course, is much more Toksvig! It was lovely to hear Sandi's narration and it did inject interest into it all for me. The reading is lively, humorous and engaging and I would recommend it as a good way to work through what is a very dense book.

That said, I would perhaps suggest that the almanac format perhaps isn't the ideal audiobook as it is - by its very nature - very fragmented and not a continuous narrative. I am glad that I also have the hardback version as I will certainly go back and revisit some sections in print.

Overall, this is a well-researched, well-read and interesting book. It is well worth a listen to the audiobook, although it is an overwhelming amount of information in one hit! Pace yourself, perhaps have a hardback copy of the book too, and you will find plenty to enjoy.

I definitely feel like I could listen to Sandi about anything she seems to be so enthusiastic and full of charm.
I almost wish I was reading rather than listening though so I could go back to certain women and review some of the remarkable stories in more detail with my own research.
The audio is great but I couldn’t absorb it all in the way I would’ve liked.
It’s a genius book though and would love something a little lighter to share with my young daughter

The humour!
The Facts!
The Women (and ridiculous men)
AND THE AUTHOR / NARRATOR!!!!!

I hope you can tell by that opening that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!! I'll be raving about and buying a copy for anyone I talk to. I'm just disappointed it took me so long to start it.

I’ve never heard or read an almanac before, in Sandi Toksvig’s she wonders through each month individually detailing events in that month from births, deaths and live events. The vast majority of the women in the book I am ashamed to say I have never heard of, but in addition to this there are facts about the months and

The book is a literal treasure trove of all the things I feel I missed learning about! In school you learn about Queen Victoria that’s about it…I could name many men from my school days but not many women.

A book that will keep you researching for a long time, there are so many fascinating women I wanted to pause the book every time to search for someone and find more of their story but decided to first listen to the whole book then go back and have a deeper delve into them and their stories.

I think if I had the paper version I may have researched people on the day rather than binge the whole book, it would have been a really interesting way to read it.

I have to say I did fall in love with Toksvig books and style of writing after listening to Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus, this one did not disappoint.

What can I say about this audio book? It was so great to have something which acknowledged the times we are living in. I listened to this whilst doing chores and found the time wizzed past. I am someone who enjoys facts and history so it was so enjoyable to hear odd snippits of people's lives which could potentially be investigated further. Of course it was made all the better by being read by Sandy herself. I often appreciate a book being read by the author as I think they give the listener an extra level of athensicity. I shall be buying this for family and friends once published. Thanks!

The main reason I applied for this audiobook was that I love listening to Sandi Toksvig’s voice. Whether it be on Bake Off or QI, always gets my attention.

This is definitely an audiobook to listen to on car journeys. Interesting information but overwhelming listening in one go. Will definitely keep going back to it, maybe my general knowledge will improve!

Toksvig's Almanac has a much-needed premise - a year-long tour of remarkable women from across the world. The number of stories I had never heard before was alarming, but their lives were a delight to learn about. Toksvig doesn't need to describe her passion for gender equality or her anger that it is still far from being achieved. Instead this book is a persuasive demonstration of how utterly incomprehensible and unjustified the patriarchy is! I think the book almost works better as audiobook - Sandi narrates the book herself, which makes the sometimes pithy, colloquial tone she adopts a lot more palatable. At times the text's transgressions - the self-declared 'useless trivia' sections - feel one thing too many. I did, however, really enjoy the female-authored poems that began each month's discussion.

I know Sand Toksvig is Danish, but for me , she is still a national treasure. I consider her to be the female Stephen Fry.

I was very keen to get my hands on this audio book, as it is narrated by the great lady herself, and I was not disappointed. I loved it.

If you told me I would have enjoyed listening to the stories of women how have been airbrushed out of history, I would have rolled my eyes, its sounds dull!

This book is anything but. I want to thank Sandi for educating me about these omissions, as they are all strong women, of all colours, and faiths who have been overlooked simply because they were women, many in a time when women were looked at as the inferior sex, and black women, well they were just ignored completely, or worse. Unfortunately some where not so long ago.

Their stories are told month by month, according to significant dates associated with them, along with interesting facts about that month. they are told with warmth, positivity and humour, and in Sandi's own hilarious style.

I loved it so much that I have immediately, upon finishing it, ordered several copies for Christmas presents for my female friends! This is a book that every woman should read, and every man should have read out to them.

Some my say it's feminism, I prefer to call it truth!

A Fantastic audio book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sandi Toksvig for this wonderful audiobook. I adore Sandi Toksvig and have read all her previous books; she is simply hilarious, as well as being incredibly insightful and has a razor sharp wit. The fact that she narrates all her books is a brilliant bonus because she really brings them to life and is just so entertaining. This book is very informative about women who have achieved a great deal but most are simply unknown to most people. Really fantastic and highly recommended.