Now that media silly season is in full swing--and some might reflect that increasingly it's a longer stretch--the announcement of the Booker longlist comes as welcome news.
The judges have apparently worked their way through 132 submissions to come up with the following; the shortlist will be revealed on 6 September with the winner being named live on News At 10 on the 8th.
A.S. Byatt, The Children's Book
J.M. Coetzee, Summertime
Adam Foulds, The Quickening Maze
Samantha Harvey, The Wilderness
James Lever, Me Cheeta
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
Simon Mawer, The Glass Room
Ed O'Loughlin, Not Untrue and Not Unkind
James Scudamore, Heliopolis
Colm Toibin, Brooklyn
William Trevor, Love and Summer
Sarah Walters, The Little Stranger
Should you want to tick any of these worthy titles off your reading list, you'll find all in your friendly neighbourhood bookshop (that's us, folks)...and, should you exhaust the list, don't forget to check out our own summer reading recommendations on the website. As ever, happy reading.
Park life
They could be the perfect little present for a homesick Londoner or visitor—or just something to slip into your bag for a little light lunchtime reading: The Royal Park's collection of short stories set in London's glorious green spaces are just too delicious not to buy at only £2 a go—I mean, what else can you buy for £2...four bags of Skittles? The Beano? Not much else!
Park Stories features new short stories from Nicola Barker, William Boyd, Shena Mackay, Will Self, Hanan al-Shaykh, Ali Smith, Adam Thorpe and Clare Wigfall—pretty much something for everyone...and there's also a rather dinky little collection of all of the titles at £16...so next time you're visiting the shop and looking for a present or a tiny little treat, these are just the job.
Keats revisited
No need to palely loiter the streets of Hampstead any longer! After two long years of refurbishments following a huge boost of Heritage Lottery cash, Keats' House Museum has finally reopened its magic casements this weekend.
Apparently, the refurbs aim to shed new light on the House's place in JK's brief life (in fact he spent more time living in NW3 than anywhere else in his adult life and, as you probably know, also wrote Ode To A Nightingale in the shade of tree in the front garden) and visitors will now be able to enjoy new and some never-previously-displayed items as well as take in James Veitch's Keats In Hampstead play on weekends throughout the summer..all this and new audio guide facilities too.
Should time in nicely with Jane Campion's forthcoming and much-trumpeted Keats biopic, Bright Star, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Apparently, the refurbs aim to shed new light on the House's place in JK's brief life (in fact he spent more time living in NW3 than anywhere else in his adult life and, as you probably know, also wrote Ode To A Nightingale in the shade of tree in the front garden) and visitors will now be able to enjoy new and some never-previously-displayed items as well as take in James Veitch's Keats In Hampstead play on weekends throughout the summer..all this and new audio guide facilities too.
Should time in nicely with Jane Campion's forthcoming and much-trumpeted Keats biopic, Bright Star, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Remembering the moonwalk...no, not that one!
For those of us able to remember that 'one small step', it's chastening to realise that it is 40 years this month since mum and dad let us stay up late to experience what might have been one of the first truly global examples of 'appointment viewing'—and an event and spectacle that was simply hyperbole-proof.
True, the advent of technology such as the Hubble Telescope, with its 13m light year reach, might have rendered the mere 240,000 mile Apollo 11 adventure slightly tame in 21st century eyes, but, you just need to close your eyes and think of the sheer bravery and heroism of it all for 30 seconds to gasp at the audacity of the whole enterprise.
The esteem and affection does still resonate--as was amply shown at the RFH this weekend when Apollo stalwart and most-appropriately-ever named astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, recieved a standing ovation before he'd even opened his mouth on appearing to publicise the 40th anniversary and also the publication of his lastest memoir (moonoir??) Magnificent Desolation.
For those that want the broadest and most frank view, though, there's the fantastic Moondust, a collection of startlingly in-depth interviews (that probe a lot further than Buzz wanted to venture on Saturday, by journalist Andrew Smith, who chaired Saturday's event.
Whether you remember '69 or not, Moondust (Bloomsbury, £8.99) is a gripping and fascinating set of discussions with the only 12 earthlings to date (and possibly for the foreseeable) with such a tale to tell. Find it in our science section; you will not be disappointed.
True, the advent of technology such as the Hubble Telescope, with its 13m light year reach, might have rendered the mere 240,000 mile Apollo 11 adventure slightly tame in 21st century eyes, but, you just need to close your eyes and think of the sheer bravery and heroism of it all for 30 seconds to gasp at the audacity of the whole enterprise.
The esteem and affection does still resonate--as was amply shown at the RFH this weekend when Apollo stalwart and most-appropriately-ever named astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, recieved a standing ovation before he'd even opened his mouth on appearing to publicise the 40th anniversary and also the publication of his lastest memoir (moonoir??) Magnificent Desolation.
For those that want the broadest and most frank view, though, there's the fantastic Moondust, a collection of startlingly in-depth interviews (that probe a lot further than Buzz wanted to venture on Saturday, by journalist Andrew Smith, who chaired Saturday's event.
Whether you remember '69 or not, Moondust (Bloomsbury, £8.99) is a gripping and fascinating set of discussions with the only 12 earthlings to date (and possibly for the foreseeable) with such a tale to tell. Find it in our science section; you will not be disappointed.
Diggin’ your scene
Bet you didn't know that National Allotment Week was on the horizon (10-16 August)...but whether this news leaves you jubilant or looking at your window box in dismay, we have an array of super-helpful books for those who'd like to grow and cook their own greens.
On the growing side of things, the London Gardener by Elspeth Thompson is a seriously helpful little tome, not only providing helpful tips for those with limited spaces/nasty bugs/too little light, but also beautifully illustrated and outlining the capital's public green spaces as a source of inspiration.
James Wong's Grow Your Own Drugs, meanwhile, is so much more than the coffee table book that it might at first appear to be. With only a few common herbs growing in your allotment or garden TV pundit Wong outlines the age-old and effective rememdies that you can not only enjoy concocting but enjoy saving money with into the bargain.
The BBC's Carole Klein doesn't disappoint either with her satisfyingly thorough and easy to follow Grow Your Own Veg...which you might just want to consider buying along with Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook to really ensure that you neither eat pot noodles nor grow weeds ever, ever again.
Finally, a really beautiful book to completely quash rumours that growing your own is strictly for hippies and Homebase-botherers, Freshly Picked, Kitchen Garden Cooking in the City by Jojo Tulloh is a delight: beautifully bound and presented, neatly and so thoughfully set out that you will not want to give it away, even if you buy it as a present.
You'll find all books in either our gardening or cookery bays—so success on a plate might only be one small bookshopping trip away. Happy digging, dibbing and dunking.
On the growing side of things, the London Gardener by Elspeth Thompson is a seriously helpful little tome, not only providing helpful tips for those with limited spaces/nasty bugs/too little light, but also beautifully illustrated and outlining the capital's public green spaces as a source of inspiration.
James Wong's Grow Your Own Drugs, meanwhile, is so much more than the coffee table book that it might at first appear to be. With only a few common herbs growing in your allotment or garden TV pundit Wong outlines the age-old and effective rememdies that you can not only enjoy concocting but enjoy saving money with into the bargain.
The BBC's Carole Klein doesn't disappoint either with her satisfyingly thorough and easy to follow Grow Your Own Veg...which you might just want to consider buying along with Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook to really ensure that you neither eat pot noodles nor grow weeds ever, ever again.
Finally, a really beautiful book to completely quash rumours that growing your own is strictly for hippies and Homebase-botherers, Freshly Picked, Kitchen Garden Cooking in the City by Jojo Tulloh is a delight: beautifully bound and presented, neatly and so thoughfully set out that you will not want to give it away, even if you buy it as a present.
You'll find all books in either our gardening or cookery bays—so success on a plate might only be one small bookshopping trip away. Happy digging, dibbing and dunking.
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