The Autobiography in your Book Shelves

The Autobiography in your Book Shelves

There’s only one Steve left now, doing the snagging – the ten thousand little jobs that need finishing off before the work is done.  It’s a bit like copy editing your book: all your editor’s notes have been minutely attended to and you think...

Don’t Shelve the Opportunity for a Good Read

Two days without blogging. Hmm. Definitely puts me in the could do better category, but I’ve got the cyber equivalent of a note from home because I’ve been spending my time unpacking my books, which is a kind of literary activity all of its own. ...
Lost for Words?

Lost for Words?

I saw this on a wall in Charite sur Loire.  I think it roughly translates as a word separates and repairs; it signifies a loss and a return (with apologies to Patrick Granville).  Apart from being such a lovely thing to find on a wall — so much better than No...
Getting Away from It All…

Getting Away from It All…

I’m in Scotland for a short collapse of our house sale break and it’s my birthday today, so I feel fully justified in sitting down with True History of the Kelly Gang by the inestimable Peter Carey and just enjoying myself. It has everything I look for in...

In My Bad Books…

When we thought we were moving house, I started packing up my books and while I was doing that I chucked out some of the bad ones, the ones with gold embossed titles that I felt slightly embarrassed to have on my bookshelves.Silly me for being such a literary snob....