This is a love letter, not to New York, but to a New York specific to 1938, the jazz era-end of depression, Gatsby reborn, where the opportunities were just beginning again to be endless. I loved this book. The story of Katey Kontent, who Mira Ward would have been if she'd been born ten years … Continue reading Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Author: jesshaigh
Twilight- a gateway book
This blog is going to read heavily of my blowing my own trumpet, but it's feeling like a pretty big bloody trumpet so I wanted to blow it quite loudly, and the Internet is looking like it would appreciate some sweet trumpet based sounds today... In November, I started a reading challenge at work, which … Continue reading Twilight- a gateway book
Is Literacy a Necessity?
Today is World Book Day. Children up and down the land are dressing up as their favourite characters; the second thing down on Google is 'World Book Day Costumes' leading to visions of frantic parents recycling Shepard's costumes from the nativity whilst their Yummy Mummy counterparts order Matilda costumes for forty quid of the t'internets... … Continue reading Is Literacy a Necessity?
Mount TBR 1# The Shadow of the Moon by M.M.Kaye
So I know having my first TBR challenge post at the end of February is pretty poor showing on my part, but I have many and numerous excuses for this, mostly along the lines of a)a lot of shit went down for me in the first two months of 2012, most of it for the … Continue reading Mount TBR 1# The Shadow of the Moon by M.M.Kaye
Happy BookElf
I'm so ridiculously, incandescently happy at the moment, for a variety of brilliant reasons. As many of you know, this isn't always the case for me. That's why, when I am feeling happy, I tend to shout it from the rooftops. Sing it from the trees. I've been trying to think of books that encapsulate … Continue reading Happy BookElf
Errrrrr Libraries Much?
I am fuming. Wikipedia is down. This is because they believe in freedom of information which apparently this new law in the US, which I don't know anything about, will restrict. Fair enough, I too believe in open content and lack of censorship. This isn't what is making me angry. I've just had a morning … Continue reading Errrrrr Libraries Much?
I freaking love you, Tina Fey
Well that was a FUN start to 2012! Having had a bit of a, shall we say, odd week, which involved, amongst other things drawing pictures of buses making love and googling 'Robbie Williams eats hamsters in and around Stoke' FOR WORK, one thing I really didn't need was to feel shit about my Kindle. … Continue reading I freaking love you, Tina Fey
BookElf Reads 2011
In the tradition of the last two years... Not published this year, just read this year, savvy? Discovery of the Year Ayn Rand/Mary Gaitskill (The Fountainhead/Two Girls, Fat and Thin) What may initially appear to be an odd choice, seeing as this is also the year I've discovered so many amazing books that haven't made … Continue reading BookElf Reads 2011
A Discovery of Nonsense (sorry, Witches, sorry)
****SPOILERS, SO MANY SPOILERS. AND SWEARS. LOADS AND LOADS OF SWEARS*** What an utterly ridiculous book this is. Firstly, a background as to why I read a paranormal romance book during the week before Christmas; the cover. We bought it for work because I'd seen it *everywhere*, the cover looked really pretty, and I just … Continue reading A Discovery of Nonsense (sorry, Witches, sorry)
The Light Bulb Moment Review
The Light Bulb Moment is a collection of pieces from various women and men, edited by Sian Norris, loosely based on the question 'what was the lightbulb moment when you became a feminist?'. Like many of the contributors, my answer to this would probably be "I've always been". This doesn't stop this being a fascinating … Continue reading The Light Bulb Moment Review
LeedsBookClub 