Quote- “Nature once determined how we survive. Now we determine how nature survives.”— Sir David Attenborough This month’s blog is unique in two ways. I want to celebrate the truly inspirational Sir David Attenborough on the occasion of his 100th birthday which will be on May 8th, and also list some of his extraordinary achievements. […]
“you were an awful husband, but you always knew how to tell a good story” (Osman 27) Welcome to the second Thursday Murder Club book series review. I hope you might have had a chance to read the first book following my last blog on Richard Osman’s series. As the second book opens, we learn […]
“The beginning is always today” -from The Short Stories of Mary Shelley by Mary Shelley You may remember that my January blog celebrated the opening of a new independent York bookshop. I have been fortunate enough to meet a great person called Arya Walton, who is launching her own indie press in April 2026. The press will support […]
“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger”- Wuthering Heights. As March arrives and hopefully some much needed sun and spring warmth, I felt it would be good to write this month’s blog […]
“It is Ian’s regular smoothie. A punnet of raspberries, a fistful of spinach, Icelandic yoghurt (Finnish, if they are out of Icelandic), spirulina, wheatgrass, acerola, cherry powder, chlorella, kelp, acai extract, cocoa nibs, zinc, beetroot essence, chia seeds, mango zest and ginger. It is his own invention, and he calls it Keep It Simple”- (Osman […]
Quote- “Maybe I’ll open a bookstore,” he smiled. “New and used books – so everyone has a chance to see the world through the pages of a story” -Karen Kingsbury Welcome to the first blog of 2026 and I hope it is a happy, healthy and (literature) heavy year ahead for you. I am doing […]
The Lucky Dip of Books for 2026 This blog is similar to one I did last year, and looks at the twelve new books of 2026 (for the twelve days of Christmas) that I think look intriguing. A twist on last year means I will give you the book photos, names and genre, but in […]
Quote- “Coffee table books have graced the tables of elegant homes for many years. As a matter of fact, the idea of using books as a display rather than strictly for reading dates back to the 1700s. Their purpose can range from a purely decorative pretension to an intriguing and informative conversation piece” (Honey Good). […]
“Every writer is at least two beings: the one who lives, and the one who writes” (Atwood Dustjacket) As interviewers often say, Margaret Atwood needs no introduction. She is the greatest writer of our time (my opinion and millions of others) and it was a true honour to see her in real life and hear […]
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself”- Matsuo Basho. To follow the autumn theme from the last blog, I am doing a study on both haiku poetry and Matsuo Basho, a 15th century Japanese poet. The reason these two links to autumn in my view, is because they each value […]