I first saw The Twyford Code in a bookshop around the end of last year and the cover intrigued me. But since I’ve been pretty good with not buying books (I’m sorry, bookshops!), I recently ended up borrowing the book from the library. Told through a series of audio transcripts, The Twyford Code is the… Read More Book Review: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
As I’m writing this post, I haven’t really seen anyone talk about the Hachette vs Internet Archive and I would really like to hear what others think, so here’s my little attempt at writing down my thoughts. The way I understand it, Hachette vs Internet Archive (which, despite its name is actually Hachette Book Group,… Read More Musings about Hachette vs Internet Archive (and libraries)
I am here with another classic! This time by Dostoevsky, whose last book I read was Notes from Underground and The Double in 2021. What I remember of Dostoevsky in general is that his words have a pessimistic, dark quality about them, which makes them harder for me to read than say, Tolstoy (though I’ve… Read More Book Review: Winter Notes on Summer Impressions by Fyodor Dostoevsky
It’s time for the first instalment in my Lupicia Quick Tea Reviews series! Last week, I managed to try four Lupicia teas – three are from the November tea subscription and one is a sample. The first tea is called Bungo Les Bains and it’s inspired by Oita’s onsens and is supposed to be a… Read More Lupicia Quick Tea Reviews #1
It has been some time since I talked about Studio Ghibli, so it’s time to remind everyone that Studio Ghibli makes amazing films by talking about Mixing Work with Pleasure, Toshio Suzuki’s account of his time spent at Studio Ghibli as a producer and company president. If you want to see some of his calligraphy,… Read More Book Review: Mixing Work with Pleasure by Toshio Suzuki
I picked up this book mostly because I had a suspicion I would be caught in a very, very bad traffic jam and I wanted something to kill the time (I was right but I didn’t have as much opportunity to read). What I didn’t expect was that this book would be captivating and so… Read More Book Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
When I chose to share a tea subscription with Flyeetelfly, I knew but I didn’t know what I was getting into. On one, rational, level, I knew that this would mean new packets of tea every month. On another level, I didn’t realise that meant I would drown in tea. I managed to live in… Read More Lupicia Quick Tea Reviews Incoming!
Four friends, a safari, and long-held secrets – the premise of The Wild Girls hooked me immediately and after some time on my TBR list, I finally read it. The Wild Girls has estranged friends Grace (isolated from unmentioned past events), Alice (financial issues + abusive boyfriends), and Hannah (mother who has complicated feelings towards… Read More Book Review: The Wild Girls by Phoebe Morgan
I read the Dark is Rising sequence way back when I was in school, but reading Re-Enchanted made me want to re-read this series (especially since I remember liking it). So I borrowed a copy of this from the library and settled in for a rollicking ride. In Over Sea, Under Stone, Simon, Jane, and… Read More Book Review: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
“Pitying people isn’t a kindness. It makes them supine. And those who seek it don’t deserve respect.” After almost two years, I am back to the DCI Barnaby mysteries! I read The Killings at Badger’s Drift in mid-2021, and since I recently watched an episode of Midsomer Murders (albeit in incognito as my BBC player… Read More Book Review: Death of a Hollow Man by Caroline Graham
