Come with me to the beautiful county of Dorset – Thomas Hardy country – to enjoy the company of a spirited heroine, a variety of heroes, comic yokels, and a plot packed with drama. I love Thomas Hardy’s novels, though they often make me cry. Read more
The Nobel Prize for Literature
It was announced last month that this year no Nobel Prize for Literature will be awarded. There have been sex-abuse allegations and “other issues” within the ranks of the prestigious Swedish Academy which decides on and awards the prize. Read more
Literary Statues
On my travels I love to see statues of favourite literary characters. In Philadelphia recently I sought out a statue of Dickens with Little Nell at his side, I love the one of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (it was erected overnight so that children would think it had appeared by magic), and one of Sherlock Holmes in Edinburgh near the spot where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born. Read more
The Moonstone
Bookshops devote many shelves to detective fiction. But the genre is a fairly modern phenomenon that began with Wilkie Collins’ classic The Moonstone, published 150 years ago this year. Read more
Poem of the Month, July 2018 – ‘Macavity: The Mystery Cat’
Macavity: The Mystery Cat by T.S. Eliot
Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw—
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime—Macavity’s not there! Read more
Companion Guide – Gerald Durrell & ‘My Family and Other Animals’
Gerald Durrell wrote many books, but none has ever enjoyed the popularity of My Family and Other Animals. It is such a happy book, if you are ever feeling a bit down, this book will cheer you up. Read more
Book Towns
In 1961 a man called Richard Booth opened a second hand bookshop in the unused fire station in a little Welsh town named Hay-on-Wye. He hoped to fill the town with book shops and he even crowned himself King of Hay and in 1977 proclaimed Hay an independent kingdom. He bought the ruined castle on a hill overlooking the town, and got a great deal of publicity for his eccentric ways. Read more
Children of the Nazis
In 2016 the Baillie Gifford Prize for a non-fiction book was awarded to East West Street by Philippe Sands. I read it recently after my sister had recommended it (thanks Rache) and found it absolutely fascinating. Philippe Sands is a lawyer and was invited to lecture on international law in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. Read more
‘Frankenstein’ is 200
Did you know that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein turned 200 in January this year? Mary was 20 years old when she wrote it. Read more
Poem of the Month, June 2018 – ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
My favourite American poet is Robert Frost, who was born in San Francisco in 1874 but who spent most of his life in New England, writing about the rhythms of life on a farm – mending the stone wall, picking apples, sawing wood, walking through the woods and needing to decide which path to follow. Read more
Companion Guide – Gustave Flaubert & ‘Madame Bovary’
Adultery is such a fabulous subject for a book – lies, deceit, punishment and betrayal can all follow in its wake. It was Gustave Flaubert who was the first to explore adultery from the point of view of female desire and sexuality. In doing so, he broke new ground. Read more
My Little Free Library
I am now the proud owner of a Little Free Library and have been so enjoying it. It stands outside my house and locals have been stopping to look and take away a book to read. Read more
Are you a Promiscuous Reader?
Are you a promiscuous reader? Do you double-date, or even triple-date, with books? Or are you strictly a one-book-at-a-time reader? Read more
David Lodge
I recently enjoyed an audio version of Thinks by David Lodge – a rather quirky, unusual novel about academics who have an affair. I have been enjoying David Lodge’s books for years. His Nice Work, a modern version of Elizabeth Gaskell’s superb North and South, is a funny and excellent read (there’s also a TV version available on DVD), and Changing Places is a delight too. Read more
Poem of the Month, May 2018 – ‘In Flanders Fields’
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae
The name John McCrae might not immediately ring any bells with you, but I bet you know his poem. Everyone knows his poem! In Flanders Fields is one of the most famous poems of WWI, and is remembered by all who buy poppies to commemorate the war. Read more
