I have a history of not receiving feedback terribly well. When I was little and my Mum had the audacity to say that I was not vacuum cleaning in the corners, I would cross my arms and reply “You can do it yourself if you don’t like it”. The slightest criticism was a risk of me either giving up or bursting into tears. Obviously, as … Continue reading Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen “Thanks for the Feedback” – book review
If this was a realistic novel about spies in suits, I’d be so happy… Continue reading Jason Matthews “The Red Sparrow” – book review
Did I really ‘read’ William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy?
I let it waft around me, listening on Audible as I cooked dinner and I cleared the kitchen. That is surely not the reading it deserves. Continue reading William Dalrymple’s “The Anarchy” – book review
Though the Brave New World was written in 1932, its unashamed dualism feels eerily contemporary. Continue reading Aldous Huxley “Brave New World” – book review
I opened the first few pages – featuring a scene at the gynecologist – and I was impressed. Women have all been there, but it takes a gutsy author to be able to write about it. Continue reading Candice Carty-Williams “Queenie” – book review
This is not a story of a hero. This is a story of a man who did the best he could. We need more like him. Continue reading Jack Fairweather’s “The Volunteer” – book review
Cryptography, by necessity, is a complex subject. If it were simple, it wouldn’t serve its purpose. Continue reading Fred C. Piper and Sean Murphy “Cryptography: A very short introduction” – book review
It took me half a year- but I finally did it! I finished reading Les Liaisons Dangereuses ! Continue reading Choderlos de Laclos “Les Liaisons Dangerouses” – book review
It took me a long time to get through “Night and Day”. Continue reading Virginia Woolf’s “Night and Day”- book review
The more I think about Armando Iannuci’s adaptation of David Copperfield, the more I like it. I left the cinema in a shock- the differences between book and film overwhelmed me- and I was reciting them enraptured to my companion- who had not read the book- and was slightly baffled at the vehemence of my emotions. And then I slept on it. The next day, … Continue reading David Copperfield- film review
