Tag: books

Read any good books lately?

Two of the books in this pile were not for me, but for Cycloman. I expect you can guess which two, without much thought.

There’s something so very different about reading on holiday.
I had started and not progressed with ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ months ago and put it away. Something made me pull it out and pack it for the holiday and this time I found it an enjoyable and informative read while relaxing in France. Amusing and light, but still managing to convey some of the horror of living under German occupation. Continue reading “Read any good books lately?”

Reading group

We have been together now for some years, my friends and I in a book group started by me when Scout (now nearly 15) was about 3. I was fed up of reading the backs of cereal packets and not much else.I invited a few friends to see if anyone else was interested. Nearly everyone I asked was!

The group list comprises about 15 people – but fewer than 6 usually attend each meeting.There are various excuses and reasons. Many of us are going through the teenage years with our children. Some have moved away, but want to remain on the invite list, coming only for 3 or 4 meetings a year. Some have very busy jobs and find it very difficult to fit in reading time.

Every now and then a new member joins. Four meetings ago one such new member joined us. She hasn’t missed a meeting and has always read the book, and is just what we need… an injection of new enthusiasm. Continue reading “Reading group”

Cooking – the books.

Well honestly, I’m quite deflated. It’s like my souffle’s sunk, my meringue’s gone flat and my custard’s curdled. It seems I only have five of the Observer’s top 50 cookbooks ever!

This either indicates that I am hopelessly untrendy or that I am a lousy, seriously uninformed cook. Whichever is true, I’m not sure I can live with the shame. Well, ok, I lied about that. I just made shame my new best friend. Continue reading “Cooking – the books.”

Hay: over and out

So Sunday, the last day at Hay Festival was pretty idyllic.   A sunny afternoon relaxed into a glorious  evening and the final remnants of the sun-worshipping literati lay on the lawn reading or splayed out in one of the deckchairs.

Listening to Stephen Fry in the Barclays tent, a guttural bleating interrupted the proceedings and made me think “Hah. Some farmer’s phone with a comic sheep ring-tone. How apt.” Continue reading “Hay: over and out”

A Book Recommendation

I’m not a book-worm. To be perfectly honest, I don’t read much. If the book does not get me within 50 pages, I usually leave it.

A couple of months ago, a book in Turkey became very popular, usually I keep a suspicion distance to over-promoted pop-culture items. Anyway, this time I failed and decided to buy it. (Note, I said buy, not read. 🙂 ). Because it contained essences from the great Sufi, Rumi.
So I did. I started reading it and it really got me. I finished it within 3-4 days. It’s one of the best I’ve read in a very long time.

Continue reading “A Book Recommendation”