Podcasts, Radio, TV, Books, Cycling, Photography and More
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Recent Books
It feels like ages since I wrote about some of the recent books I’ve been reading. Let’s try to put that right with this handful of recently finished books. Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang I first discovered Rebecca F Kuang when I read her fantasy epic Babel a couple of years ago. Her lastest…
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Crystal Palace v Swindon Town
We went to watch this epic third round FA Cup tie yesterday afternoon. I’d not been to Selhurst Park before. It’s obviously a ground (and a club) that’s seen better days. When we got to the visiting fans ticket booth there was a largish queue and not a lot happening. It seemed that there was…
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A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Well I noted the other day that I hadn’t read this book yet. Well now I have… obviously. I must admit, for a book that’s won prizes for comic fiction, I didn’t find it terribly funny. It takes a serious-ish subject and handles it with a very light touch. But I’m not sure I’d go…
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Tomorrow’s World Returns
Four years on – nearly to the day – and Media Guardian is reporting that Tomorrow’s World is returning. Well – sort of. The programme itself isn’t returning – just elements of it including the title sequence, and, well, the name. Effectively, the brand, then. This is better than nothing, but not really that great.…
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The Rush To Paperback
I was wandering around Borders the other day, just to see if they had any interesting books in the London branch that hadn’t been in the Norwich branch. Not that I need any more books. Anyway, they did have the hardback of Restless by William Boyd on sale at half price. Now I love William…
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Very funny…
Scarily accurate…
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The Ghost Map
The Ghost Map is a completely fascinating non-fiction title about two characters, who in 1854, managed to get to the bottom of the cause of one of the scourges of the age – cholera. If you know where I work, then read the following paragraph, and even though it covers events a couple of hundred…
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A Conversation
My parents have read a couple of books by someone who they said was quite good. I was curious to find out more, so I asked: Me: “Who’s the author?” Them: “We can’t remember.” Me: “What’s the name of one of the books he wrote?” Them: “We can’t remember.” Me: “Can you tell me anything…
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The Prestige
Obviously, I picked up The Prestige following thre recent release of the film version. But I’ve yet to see that, instead preferring to read the novel before the movie made or ruined the story for me. The book begins in a modern day setting as Andrew Westley visits Kate Angier to find out why she’s…
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Pan’s Labyrinth
Pan’s Labyrinth is one of those films that I just knew I’d like before I saw it. I could have been setting myself up for a fall, but it’s safe to say that I didn’t. Set at the end of the Spanish Civil War, events take place in a mountainous region as Captain Vidal moves…
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Everything That’s Wrong With The Evening Standard In One Photo
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Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery
Paul Temple is one of those radio detective serials, the likes of which no longer exists today. The radio serials were broadcast between the 1930s and 1960s with a number of different actors and actresses playing Temple and his wife Steve. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the series, you almost certainly will be familiar with…
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Books in 2006
I see that I’m not the only person who gets fascinated by The Guardian’s regular table of bestselling (or fastselling) books across the year. Grumpy Old Bookman has a good analysis to read alongside The Guardian’s own. What does it tell us about the state of British book publishing in the UK? Well first and…
Hadrian’s Wall
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