A bit late for this, but oh well.

Here's my reading list of stuff I've either read this week or am planning to read within the next month:

The stuff which isn't to do with my current subject but is to do with Capital punishment: Rape In Medieval England: A Historical and Sociological Study, John Marshall Carter. The laws of Salian Franks, Katherine Fischer Drew (which is quite interesting). Law and Society in Early Medieval Europe: Studies in Legal History (legal history tells you so, so much about the society it's in and yet people seem to think it's all dry dusty court documents and a ton of executions. I'd say this was too Western European centric for the title to be correct, though). Germanic Kinship Structure: Studies in Law and Society in Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (kinship is such an important part of law systems around the world, from early Germanic law to the pre colonial gacaca courts of Rwanda, but this was honestly one of the best studies I've read on it, I'd reccomend it for anyone, interested in legal history or kinship structures or not- the history of kinship in Germanic cultures has had an undeniable effect on Western Europe). The Laws of the Earliest English Kings, Frederick L. Attenborough is something I want to read but haven't had the time yet. And although it's not my area of research, it would be useful providing historical context for English laws, I suppose...and it looks interesting. Just need to read it, I suppose. Law, Sex and Christian Society in Medieval Europe, James Brundage. This one was super interesting. How does Medieval Europe deal with sexual crimes? What is a sexual crime? was a sexual crime considered worse than a non sexual crime? How would a victim extract compensation or recompense- through fines, revenge through eg execution, or through marrying the rapist to ensure honour? This was why I was mainly reading it but it is about far, far more than sexual crimes in the legal system, expanding into how sex was seen across Medieval Europe, how the views changed between cultures and between the massive time frame that is the start and end of Medieval Europe, etc etc. Criminal Judgement Through the Ages: From a Divine Judgement to Modern German Legislation. I want to read this. I'm really getting into Germanic legal and criminal history, and it's got so much written about it, which is lucky. Ceremonial execution and public rewards: some historical scenes on New Kingdom private stelae, by Alan R. Schulman. Got it saved on my reading list. Don't know anything about Ancient Egypt, so it should be interesting. On the sacral origin of the Germanic death penalties, by Folke Ström. The title is pretty self explanatory, there's nothing much to say about it.

The stuff I read or need to get on and read, which is to do with my research: The London hanged: crime and civil society in the eighteenth century, by Peter Linebaugh. (Not read. Need to). Honour and violence, by Anton Blok. Wherever you look in historical law, honour is usually a massive part of the legal system. Restoring and defending honour, dishonouring criminals, honour killings and family feuds, honour is everywhere. The idea of honour meant rape survivors marrying their rapists by court order (and often, apparently, willingly). The idea of honour has led to countless murders and deaths, it's been responsible for changing execution styles and so on. The justice and the mare’s ale: law and disorder in seventeenth-century England, by Alan Macfarlane and Sarah Harrison. (Not read, need to). Criminality and narrative in eighteenth-century England: beyond the law, by Hal Gladfelder. How criminals and criminality are seen in societies will have a massive effect on the legal system of course. In eighteenth century England, the narrative surrounding criminality and crime is very interesting. Are criminals evil sinners? Are they victims who can be saved through religion? What is criminality? How do you depict a criminal in a story, what makes a criminal a criminal? The answer to the last question might just be 'breaking the law', in eighteenth century England, a criminal would have a certain shape of chin and maybe watery eyes etc etc which help define him as a criminal, and are part of the ways English society created their narrative of criminality. It's highly relevant for a time when some members of society see anyone wearing a hijab as a potential terrorist...

And the stuff which isn't connected at all: I've reread Courtesans and Fishcakes which is a fun read and really interesting. I'm also starting on The Historical Figure of Jesus, by EP Sanders which isn't as fun a read tbh thanks to writing style, but is definitely interesting.