Blog
Films and Books – do the kids rule the roost?
22 February, 2011
Apparently Hollywood films are being dumbed down. For every Black Swan or The King’s Speech that makes it to our screens there are far more Meet the Fockers, Twilight sagas or Toy Story empires. Kids (teens especially) make up a huge number of filmgoers (and they often go and see something more than once) so […]
Crowdfunding – what project would you pick?
21 February, 2011
While washing up one evening last week (not glamorous I know, but occasionally one has to take time out from the giddy social whirl) my ears perked up while listening to Radio 4’s Front Row. No, Mark Lawson was not hilariously upsetting any more touchy Hollywood stars as he memorably did last spring, instead some […]
How to Bag a Prince
18 February, 2011
As much as it pains me to recommend another publishers’ book, I have to give credit where credit is due. In amongst all the awful tat that is circulating with the run-up to the Royal Wedding (dishcloths, commemorative china – ho hum) Penguin has outdone itself. Introducing the Royal Wedding: William and Kate Dress-up Dolly […]
War and Peace: A Summary (Book Four)
17 February, 2011
My summary of War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy continues… Book Four In Book Four, it is 1806, and Tolstoy’s military menfolk return from their thrashing by Bonaparte at Austerlitz to a hero’s welcome (no severe denial syndrome there), and soon find themselves thrown into a whole heap of troubles, poor darlings. Pierre’s new bride […]
Wednesday Cover Story: A page of book covers…
16 February, 2011
Anna Jacobs, author of Cherry Tree Lane – the first book in her Wiltshire Girls series – has just launched her new website. Amongst the features on the website is a page simply displaying all and only her book covers – a most colourful array of book covers I might add. Check out Anna Jacobs […]
Close, but no cigar
15 February, 2011
There’s something a bit unnecessary about life-time achievement awards, or am I the only one who thinks that? A few weeks ago, Bruce Forsyth picked up a special recognition gong at the National Television Awards, which seemed to do nothing but more firmly cement to his ‘national treasure’ tag. Great actors and writers don’t always […]
I Was Here (reading…)
14 February, 2011
I am back from a fabulous week of skiing and snowboarding in the Dolomites. But it wasn’t all about speeding down the slopes, hitting the Sella Ronda circuit and trying not to stack it on the way down the piste. There was also time to relax and enjoy the mountain setting… I Was Here reading […]
War and Peace: A Summary (Book Three)
10 February, 2011
My summary of War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy continues… Book Three As Book Three opens in 1805 (yes, still), we wade deeper into war. But more important than all the trumpeting and strategizing and sauntering is a certain revelation: a clue as to why weepy Sonya is having so little success in winning Nicky’s […]
Wednesday Cover Story: The new Weather Warden covers
9 February, 2011
I’ve just seen the new covers for the upcoming Weather Warden books by Rachel Caine and, if you’ll excuse the weather pun, they are HOT! I thought the previous design-style as seen here on the covers to Ill Wind and Heat Stroke were really cool (ok, enough with the heat references…) but removing the coloured […]
Speaking of Literary Tattoos…
8 February, 2011
Yesterday we were talking about tattoos in the office…as you do. It was more a discussion of tattoos that had either gone awry, or perhaps the content of which had not lived up to the longevity the wearer was expecting. For instance, Cheryl Cole’s ‘Mrs C’, and Johnny Depp’s ‘Winona Forever’. And you know how […]
Why I Pay a Licence Fee
7 February, 2011
Hoorah for the Beeb, who announced the details last week of their ‘Year of Books’ programming, and it looks like we have some corking programmes coming up. There’s the dramatization of Edwin Drood for one thing, which if it’s half as good as last year’s Little Dorrit will definitely see me tuning in. Anne Robinson […]
Shaun White? Or Wipe Out?
4 February, 2011
I am heading to Corvara tomorrow, a lovely village in the Dolomites, for a week’s holiday in the snow and where I plan to try my hand (or rather, feet) at snowboarding. My initial bravado (‘I’m a good skier, how hard can it be?‘ didn’t last long so I sensibly took myself to Snow & […]
Trust me, I’m a Doctor…
3 February, 2011
I will be interested to listen to today’s discussion, Doctors in the Dock, on BBC Radio 4’s programme Face the Facts (will catch it later on bbciplayer). It centered around the question: Is the General Medical Council the right organisation to regulate the medical profession? The plan to instate an independent regulator to discipline doctors […]
Wednesday Cover Story: Behind the scenes of cover art…
2 February, 2011
Ever wondered how book designs are created? Think you have to be a whizz at Photoshop and advanced Illustrator? Granted, basic techie skills are necessary, but sometimes it’s more creative – and certainly more fun! – to do it the old-fashioned way. Windmill Books have recently proved their creativity with their post about the aptly […]
Zombies at the office
31 January, 2011
Having spent a good few weeks of my autumn working away on Dr Dale’s Zombie Quiz app, an accompaniment to his hilarious book Dr Dale’s Zombie Dictionary, I feel like my eyes and brain have been attuned to the rather gorier tid-bits one finds on the internet, I’m attracting stuff like a magnet now! And […]
A tribute to translators
28 January, 2011
Today I saw the longlist for The 2011 BTBA Fiction Longlist. I am lucky in that I know four languages – the perks of coming from an international background (or, how my other-half ‘endearingly’ puts it, “being a mutt”). And I do love languages, all with their own unique rhythms, inflections, tones and expressions. So […]
War and Peace: A Summary (Book Two)
27 January, 2011
And so we continue now with my précis of War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. BOOK TWO Peace shifts to War in Book Two, and so there is much parading of troops and inspections by generals, and many assurances that the Russian troops are not only confident in their ability to defeat the enemy, but […]
Wednesday Cover Story: Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
26 January, 2011
We are very impressed with the innovative design for these obscure H G Wells titles recently republished by Orion in hardback. (Georgina spotted them at The British Library on the weekend). The title and author name features as a newspaper headline and the usual details on the back cover (bar code, price, publisher etc) are […]
Happy Burns’ Night
25 January, 2011
Burns’ Night (today 25 January) isn’t really my kind of shindig. There’s whisky for one thing, of which I love the smell but can’t stomach at all, and then there’s haggis (repress shudder and move on). And while a raucous célidh might be tempting, I’ll take pity on any prospective dance partners’ toes and bow […]
Campaign to Save Our Libraries continues
24 January, 2011
As the Save Our Libraries campaign continues, celebrities too have shown their support. Everyone from Tony Christie, Joanna Trollope and Philip Pullman are up in arms at the cuts, and big names such as Julian Fellowes and Kate Mosse (author, not supermodel) are putting together a Save our Libraries Campaign film. It’s heartening to see […]
The Devil makes work for idle hands…
21 January, 2011
Well, in this case, the little Devil is rather ingenious. I’m a huge fan of the likes of Stomp and Tap Dogs, and now have come across this brilliant video by the Up and Over It dance duo (who have toured with the likes of the Riverdance troupe) with their innovative take on Irish Dance. […]
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