Monthly Archives: December 2015

Wish List 2016: New Year’s Resolutions, plus The BBC’s 100 Greatest British Novels

Posted on December 31, 2015 by

Well, it wouldn’t feel right to end the year without a nosy at what everyone is deeming the best reads of the year. The New York Times includes Elena Ferrante’s twin protagonists and Helen Macdonald’s in its 10 Best Books of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Lists, Reading Challenge, Wish List | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Clichés abound : “the first step in a thousand miles” …

Posted on December 26, 2015 by

My favourite person of the female sex (never let it be said that am not keeping up with the world in terms of political correctness) will be turning 18 next September. Over recent months she has started tackling some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Lists | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

“The Help” by Kathryn Stockett (2009) – a whole new take on ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’

Posted on December 12, 2015 by

It’s taken me all this time to watch the film of the book I enjoyed reading so much the year it was published, with its Stepford Wives’ flavour and heady swipe at the treatment of the hired help in Jackson, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Books on the Big Screen | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Classics Club Challenge – taking a gamble

Posted on December 7, 2015 by

This is rather like Russian roulette with none of the blood and guts. While for some all this avid list-compiling would no doubt be like having teeth pulled, it is of course totally up my persnickety compulsive alley. Having embarked upon … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics Club Challenge | Tagged | 15 Comments

Baileys’ Women’s Prize for Fiction Best of the Decade OR “What a blinkin’ performance!”

Posted on December 5, 2015 by

It took an imminently expiring passport (you know that sinking “how did you let this happen” feeling?) and a belligerent bloke at the British Consulate here in Paree – “Désolé, Madame, mais le système a changé…” – to force a welcome … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Prizes, Book Reviews, Books on the Big Screen | Tagged , , | 15 Comments