The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many… Continue reading 2013 in Review: WordPress Report
Category: Comment
I Need Bookshops. We All Do.
Today, on the way home from looking after my little nephew, I stopped in at WHSmith. I saw the poster for their summer promotions in the window, and remembered that I had wanted to read The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker for a while, so I went in. This was the one in Pinner,… Continue reading I Need Bookshops. We All Do.
Share this:
Tintin, Hellboy, Comic Books, and Me
When I was little, I read a lot of Tintin. My mum watched the cartoon adaptations as a child, and we always used to go on holiday to France, where Tintin is very popular, so I guess that's what got me into them. The first one I read was King Ottokar's Sceptre. The gist of… Continue reading Tintin, Hellboy, Comic Books, and Me
Share this:
Why The Story Of Trix Kipling Still Fascinates Us – by Mary Hamer
This is a guest post written by the author Mary Hamer. Mary is a university professor and the author of several academic texts. Her first novel, Kipling & Trix, was published in October 2012 by Aurora Metro and tells the story of the life of Rudyard Kipling's sister Trix. Here she writes about why Trix's… Continue reading Why The Story Of Trix Kipling Still Fascinates Us – by Mary Hamer
Share this:
Women’s Prize Longlist Announced! But Who Will Be On The Shortlist?
What was once The Orange Prize for Fiction is now The Women's Prize for Fiction, which I think is a better name anyway. Today the longlist of titles for 2013 has been announced and already the internet is 'abuzz' with profiles of the authors, varying cover art, and the shock of Hilary Mantel going up… Continue reading Women’s Prize Longlist Announced! But Who Will Be On The Shortlist?
Share this:
Diary of an Intern
My name is Lizzi, and I'm an intern. It all started at the end of my final year of university. A friend of mine had done an internship at an online literary magazine, so I followed the magazine on Twitter, and when they tweeted that they needed a new intern, I put myself forward and… Continue reading Diary of an Intern
Share this:
Goodbye Watford Waterstones…
I have just learned via a retweet on Twitter that my local Waterstones in Watford, Hertfordshire has closed. It had been there for so long I don't remember it opening, and I visited it for years. Three floors - yes, THREE - of books. A lower ground floor for children's, fiction on the ground floor,… Continue reading Goodbye Watford Waterstones…
Share this:
Was Marilyn Monroe a Feminist?
I've almost finished a new biography of Marilyn Monroe, to be published in August to coincide with the 50th anniversary of her death. Feminist scholar and historian Lois Banner wrote Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox over a number of years, interviewing an enormous cast of people who knew the beautiful and tragic star. Her… Continue reading Was Marilyn Monroe a Feminist?
Share this:
Fiction Uncovered Announce their Best of British for 2012
Fiction Uncovered are hard to pinpoint at first. I use/view their site as a news source, a book review site and a blog. They describe themselves as: Fiction Uncovered is a promotion which celebrates our best British fiction writers. The promotion is supported by Arts Council England and funded by the National Lottery. In 2012, retailers including Waterstone’s, Foyles, iBookstore, Amazon and The Book… Continue reading Fiction Uncovered Announce their Best of British for 2012
Share this:
Ten Reasons To Love Daphne du Maurier
Originally published on 14th May on For Books' Sake: Yesterday would have been Daphne du Maurier‘s birthday. In celebration, here’s ten things we love about the iconic author of classics including Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn… 1. Her name To start with, ‘Daphne’ is a beautiful name. In Greek mythology, Daphne was a minor goddess (possibly some sort… Continue reading Ten Reasons To Love Daphne du Maurier
These Little Words 