All posts filed under: Books & Lit

Press Play: Audible Weekly (11/11- 17/11/2013)

Published by

Expo 58 by Jonathan Coe From Audible: London, 1958: unassuming civil servant Thomas Foley is plucked from his desk at the Central Office of Information and sent on a six-month trip to Brussels. His task: to keep an eye on The Brittania, a brand new pub which will form the heart of the British presence at Expo 58 – the biggest World’s Fair of the century, and the first to be held since the Second World War. As soon as he arrives at the site, Thomas feels that he has escaped a repressed, backward-looking country and fallen headlong into an era of modernity and optimism. He is equally bewitched by the surreal, gigantic Atomium, which stands at the heart of this brave new world, and by Anneke, the lovely Flemish hostess who meets him off his plane. But Thomas’s new-found sense of freedom comes at a price: the Cold War is at its height, the mischievous Belgians have placed the American and Soviet pavilions right next to each other – and why is he being …

Press Play: Audible Weekly (4/11- 10/11/2013)

Published by

About a year ago I registered for an account on Audible. I remember thinking that some insta- gratification of both my book & shopping obsessions couldn’t hurt – in fact it sounded like great fun. Well, guess what? It kinda did, hurt that is… My ever-growing book and e-book “To be Read” list has been added to at quite an alarming rate these last few months (at least 3-5 audiobooks per week) – to the point where I’ve actually started wondering if I’ll ever manage to get through it all. “Press Play: Audible Weekly” will make a point of documenting audiobooks that capture my attention online & hopefully offering “upcoming read” ideas to any of you fellow book-aholics out there. It will also feature links to the full reviews, if & when mentioned titles are in fact read. So, here comes the first installment, which for no particular reason seems to be Crime- Suspense- Thriller themed: The Misletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales by Kate Mosse From Audible: A wonderfully atmospheric collection of stories from …

‘The Hundred- Year- Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared’ by Jonas Jonasson ~ A Review

Published by

While I am all for not “judging a book by its cover” I often do judge by the title and, I think, I ought to begin this review by saying that is exactly what happened here. There I was, browsing through possible reads online, when this grabbed my attention and simply refused to let go. That said, I never expected anything quite like what I got as I promptly paid for and downloaded the e-book for my Kindle: Enter Alan Karlsson, our endearing, totally laid- back, totally apolitical protagonist who – on the eve of his 100th birthday – decides to climb out the window of his nursing home and disappear. Moving back and forth from the clever and quirky present plot to a lough- out- loud retrospective of Alan’s mischievous journey through life in the 20th century, Jonas Jonasson ventures miles away from the Swedish noir trend to deliver the delightful, hard to put down tale of his colorful, well- rounded, lovable characters. Hands down one of the best books I have read (so …

On my Reading List

Published by

A selection from Waterstones’ New & Coming Soon Titles, 25 Feb 2013 Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion by Alain de Botton http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/alain+de+botton/religion+for+atheists/9378197/ Here’s the thing: According to my official papers, I’m “Christian Orthodox”. In reality I’m more of an agnostic theist (and probably an apathetic one at that). I am offended by and despise how religion (and some “all-mighty, benevolent” God) always seems to be the excuse behind the most disgraceful atrocities of human history and I will probably forever be hard pushed to pick up (and spend any serious amount of time on) most books on the subject. Despite (or because of) all that, I am intrigued by this book – which claims to  “pick and choose from the thousands of years of advice assembled by the world’s great religions to get practical insights on art, community, love, friendship, work, life and death” and propose ways in which to gracefully and spiritually  navigate our lives. Office Politics: How to Thrive in a World of Lying, Backstabbing and Dirty …

‘Bonjour Tristesse/ A Certain Smile’ by Francoise Sagan ~ A Review

Published by

Contrary to the last book I read, as part of my “Classics” experiment (Paul Auster’s “New York Trilogy”), I’m sure as hell glad I picked this one up! Francoise Sagan’s first two novels have proved short, sweet and to the point ~ making the couple of days (on/off) it took me to read them highly enjoyable and utterly worthwhile. Amongst beautiful landscapes and fascinating, highly complex characters, Sagan weaves two searing, deliciously “French” tales of love, passion, jealousy and betrayal. One simply cannot help but marvel at the maturity and writing prowess of the (18 year old) author ~ while, simultaneously, looking forward to everything else she has to offer. I have to admit to being totally enthralled by Ms. Sagan’s work, of which I, definitely, plan to read more in future (looking up “The Unmade Bed” & “That Mad Ache”, as we speak). All in all, a highly recommended read!                                                 …