I ordered a book from the library recently. In itself it shouldn’t sound that surprising but I had to be reminded about the service itself by members of my reading group. I’m used to having the library as a place to browse but a part of me didn’t like to order books in, it felt… Continue reading Not for you: a brief rant about libraries and public services
Author: SusanEBarsby
Review: Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Well this couldn’t have been published at a more appropriate time. As I write, the current clampdown on reproductive freedom in the US is getting more and more extreme; there are ongoing race relations issues all across the world and discussions about how we tell the stories of past atrocities are still being hotly debated;… Continue reading Review: Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
April reading round up
Spring is here! I am always conflicted by the coming of spring – on the one hand, as a cold person I love to see the spring flowers and every year remember anew how much joy they give, and it is great to anticipate shucking off layers of woollens and being free of heavy winter… Continue reading April reading round up
March reading round up
How’s your March been? I have given up buying books for Lent which I hoped would start to make a dent in my shelves (it hasn’t) but there are still lots to get through. Here’s what I read this month: Women and Love – Miriam Burke A collection of short stories by indie publisher Renard… Continue reading March reading round up
Review: At The Table – Claire Powell
What an accomplished debut novel this is. It is set across the space of a year and features the Maguire family, mum Linda, dad Gerry and their grown up children Nicole and Jamie. Every scene is set around a meal or drinks of some kind and in the opening, the family gather to celebrate Linda’s… Continue reading Review: At The Table – Claire Powell
Review: And A Dog Called Fig by Helen Humphreys
The sub-title of this book is Solitude, Connection, The Writing Life. Having said that, this is mainly a book about dogs, and less about writing. This is not a bad thing; there is a space for examining relationships with animals and nature and how these can impact on our comfortable routines. Humphreys seems to be… Continue reading Review: And A Dog Called Fig by Helen Humphreys
February reading round up
The shortest month which, until the last week or so, did start to feel like a hopeful month with the days getting noticeably longer and we filled the house with £1 bunches of daffodils. How was your reading this month? My resolution to not buy any books this month to try and beat my backlog… Continue reading February reading round up
Who Am I*? Unearthing my influences
I have become obsessed by the ‘Literary Criticism’ section in Waterstones. The shelves there are no longer what I remember from lit crit at uni but instead have more of the world on them. When I worked at the Stones we had an essays section but that’s gone and this fascinating hotch potch is all… Continue reading Who Am I*? Unearthing my influences
Review: The Marsh House by Zoe Somerville
Zoe Somerville’s historical debut The Night of the Flood was an atmospheric exploration of a secret Cold War base in Norfolk and a tangled love story. Her follow up, The Marsh House, is also set in an atmospheric historical Norfolk and has spooky ghostly elements. It is 1962. Malorie has fled London and her marriage… Continue reading Review: The Marsh House by Zoe Somerville
Review: The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
When I was little my Mum had a huge volume of Mrs Beeton’s Guide to Household Management. She may still have it, I suppose. I can’t remember what we used it for – some of her recipe books fell open to the most frequently used page – but it was always there, this massive tome,… Continue reading Review: The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
Susan E Barsby 