This book was one of false starts for me. I bought it many years ago, fully intending to read it promptly but, like so many things in life, got distracted and prevaricated it out of my memory. I then lent it to somebody or other and that was that. I then discovered that it hadContinue reading “Book Review: Stuart: A Life Backwards”
Category Archives: Books
Be creative, no matter what.
Be creative. You should always be creative. Even when – in fact, especially when – you think you can’t. The best thing about creating anything is that, no matter what anyone thinks or says, and no matter whether anyone likes it or not, that thing exists. Whether it’s a song, a painting, a drawing, aContinue reading “Be creative, no matter what.”
5 Books That I Haven’t Read – And No Longer Care About
Ok, so these aren’t the only 5 books I haven’t read, of course. They also aren’t, I’m quite sure, the most significant 10 books that I could’ve allowed to pass me by. They do however represent a point that I’m glad to have reached in my life, where I don’t give a shit anymore. 1.Continue reading “5 Books That I Haven’t Read – And No Longer Care About”
Things that I need to stop doing, right now.
We all do things that we know that we shouldn’t, be they health, financial or social things. Sometimes they’re things that we abhor in others, and think that they don’t notice us doing. Sometimes they’re things that we even bullshit ourselves into ‘believing’ that we don’t do them. This list isn’t quite the same asContinue reading “Things that I need to stop doing, right now.”
In a true multi-media world
I read a, frankly spurious, statistic the other day. It said that 29% of American adults now own an e-reader or a tablet. This was up from 8% the year before. The reason for this was down to various sales incentives – the Black Monday’s on Amazon and B&N, and both the rise of theContinue reading “In a true multi-media world”
Book Review: Small Island, Andrea Levy
A little while back I thought it’d be a neat idea to start an online book club, to encourage myself, and other engaged but slightly isolated reading folk, to have a common reading goal, and maybe discover some new books and authors along the way. A fine idea I hear you say. Why, thank you.Continue reading “Book Review: Small Island, Andrea Levy”
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
I first heard of Cormac McCarthy via the film version of one of his books, All the Pretty Horses. A western, starring Matt Damon, it was tight, nicely acted, but it stood out with particularly good dialogue. I reckon I must’ve known the name McCarthy because, when I discovered that it was his book IContinue reading “The Road – Cormac McCarthy”
Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Good books are such a powerful thing for people because they are completely subjective. What you think is fabulous, could leave someone else completely unmoved. One man’s Hamlet is another’s Da Vinci Code. Terry Pratchett is many people’s guilty pleasure when it comes to their book collections. It’s said that his multi-million selling Discworld booksContinue reading “Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman”
Valdez Is Coming – Elmore Leonard
We all know a bit of Elmore Leonard, even if we don’t realise that we do. Long before I read his books, I’d seen the films that’ve poured out from his multitude of novels, short stories and screenplays, and it’s hard to appreciate just how much he’s produced. Born in 1925 Leonard grew up inContinue reading “Valdez Is Coming – Elmore Leonard”
Decline & Fall – Evelyn Waugh
As part of a genuine lineage of literary masters, born from an age of class brilliance, public schools, officers in world wars, country houses etc, Evelyn Waugh was one of those Englishman that Americans and Australians are convinced we’re all still like. Regretfully, we’re not. We are, of course, class mixed, socially removed from one-another,Continue reading “Decline & Fall – Evelyn Waugh”
tawtalitarian 