The problem with literature’s fascination with bad mothers
It is nice to laugh at bad mothers on film. In the movie, ‘Bad Moms’, exhausted, fraught and irreverent mothers…
The beauty of a book in which nothing ‘happens’
Most journalism students learn to write a news story as if describing an event to a friend. Start with the…
All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld
Evie Wyld’s All the Birds Singing is like a beautiful dot-to-dot for grownups, tracing the story of Jake’s life back…
Forget neutral, my bookcase is going to be big, full and messy
The interior design idea was offered up innocently enough. “Lauren keeps the look neutral by stacking books back to front.”…
Head Over Heel: Seduced by Southern Italy by Chris Harrison
Most tourists see a certain side of Italy. There are the rolling hills of Tuscany, fascinating cities and idyllic coastal…
Do you like the same books as me? Talking books with kindred spirits
It is usually the bookshelf that gives it away. That was how I often discover that a new friend is…
My New Year’s resolution is to make more conscious book choices
In the past I have always taken a scatter gun approach to choosing books, picking up one at a second-hand…
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
It is not hard to see why W.Somerset Maugham wrote The Painted Veil after he was inspired by a fascinating…
What makes the perfect holiday read?
IT’S the time of year when everyone is preparing for their Christmas break, planning festive menus and get-togethers, and packing…
The big appeal of short stories
Can you think of a blockbuster book of short stories? No, me neither. In this form of writing, there is…
