Will you sign my Kindle?
The other night I ordered a 3G Kindle. I admit, it was late, I was bored… but in the cold light of day I’ve still not cancelled the order. I’ve never hankered after an electronic book reader before –...
View ArticleThe Sacred Art of Stealing
Thanks to Annie, I am almost at the end of my first Christopher Brookmyre – The Sacred Art of Stealing. A Situationist / Dadaist bank heist, some excellent misdirection, a girl and quite a few guns...
View ArticleThe Curious Case of Mr Faulks and Mr Fry
Mrs Wiki has been on at me for ages to read some Sebastian Faulks. Somehow, I never got round to it. I’m not as fascinated by the First World War as she is, and frankly, that Sebastian Faulks (Seb!)...
View ArticleBittersweet Lucy Ellman
Poorly, elderly parents abound. I was convinced the other week that there was a great quote from the writer Lucy Ellman about the death of one’s parents. It was sad, it was witty, it was pithy. It was...
View ArticleWinter holiday reading
A quick wintery ‘recently read’ roundup… Just My Type by Simon Garfield. My favourite of the bunch – an inspired Christmas present from @gwithiansunset. Apparently this was serialised on Radio 4,...
View ArticleSidebar of literary shame
There is, of course, no earthly reason why anyone would be interested in what I’ve just read, but I’ve been ignoring my personal reading record, my sidebar of literary shame, so I decided to tidy up...
View ArticleOver The Bridge and Far Away
Review: The Bridge by Iain Banks (1986) I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this. I was going to re-read The Crow Road, my favourite Iain Banks, in the wake (wake, geddit? Aw, c’mon, give a guy a break, I’ve...
View ArticleThoughts upon entering a secondhand bookshop
Bought with Loos change Secondhand bookshops really are the most wonderful things, especially for those, like me, with brains but not brass. It is like being allowed into a salon filled with the...
View ArticleHuman Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald
Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald (1980). 4th Estate Books, £8.99 It’s hard not think that I was destined to read, and indeed love, this book. Andy Miller recommended it to me saying he thought it...
View Article10 Backlisted episodes that changed my life
It’s that time when people post their top 10 books, films, albums of the year. I even just saw a ‘top 10 best staircases of 2019‘ list, which made me panic and realise I haven’t even got my top 10 best...
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